Search results often mix two questions: is there a solar sales licence, and do salespeople need one. The practical answer turns on who is doing what.
Is there a solar sales licence in Australia?
Not as a standalone national credential. What exists is a set of rules about who may contract to carry out solar work and how consumer sales must be conducted.
In most states the business that contracts with the customer needs the relevant contractor licence. In NSW only a building or electrical contractor licence holder can contract to install solar on a roof, and an electrical licence holder must do the wiring. In Queensland the selling entity needs a QBCC licence or an unrestricted electrical contractor licence above a value threshold. Check your state regulator, because details change. The state pages set out each one, for example Queensland.
Do solar salespeople need a licence?
A salesperson working for a licensed business is generally selling on that business’s behalf, so they do not need their own electrical licence. They must still follow consumer law. Door-to-door and phone sales are unsolicited sales under the Australian Consumer Law, with cooling-off rights and strict rules on when you can knock; see cooling off and sales contracts.
A salesperson cannot:
- do or supervise electrical work
- sign the installer’s written statement or STC declarations
- hold themselves out as accredited when they are not
Solar installer vs solar sales rep
| Installer | Sales rep | |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical licence | Required for electrical work | Not required to sell for a licensed business |
| SAA accreditation | Required to create STCs | Not applicable |
| Signs installer statement | Yes | No |
| Responsible for compliance on site | Yes | No |
| Bound by consumer law when selling | Yes | Yes |
Some people are both. If you install and sell, you carry both sets of duties.
Why the line matters for STCs
An STC claim assumes the accredited installer is accountable for the work. When a salesperson’s promises (a big discount, a guaranteed payback) are not backed by the installer’s reality, complaints land on the business and sometimes on the claim. Our guide to solar scams around STCs shows how regulators view misleading selling.
From the desk: pay and train sales staff on what the STC discount actually is and when it can change. Many disputes start when a rep quotes a rate that was true last month.
What this means for installers
Hire reps only under a licensed business, give them the approved quote and contract documents, and keep your accredited installer’s declarations in the installer’s own hands. For the retailer side of the paperwork see solar retailer requirements, and for pricing the discount you quote, see what an STC is worth in 2026. The installers hub has more.