An STC claim is only as strong as the weakest item in the job file. Audits and rejections trace back to the same handful of problems, which is why a checklist, a bit of training and the right tooling cover most of the risk.
The installer’s STC checklist
- Right people. The installer who attends, designs or supervises holds current CEC accreditation for the work, and the details on the claim match. See installer attendance requirements.
- Approved products. Panels, inverters and batteries are on the relevant approved lists on the install date. For batteries, also check VPP capability.
- Correct installation type. New, replacement or additional. See the installation type guide.
- Complete photos. The full set, clear and in sequence, per the photo requirements. Batteries have their own submission guide.
- Accurate serials. Panel, inverter and battery serial numbers match the labels and the claim.
- Signed assignment. The owner, not the tenant or builder, signs the assignment form with correct names and dates.
- Dates agree. Install, commissioning, connection and signature dates are consistent and plausible.
- Records kept. Photos, forms, safety certificates and correspondence saved in one job file.
Compliance training
Training that works is short, repeated and tied to your own jobs. Good options include:
- the Clean Energy Council’s accreditation requirements and updates
- the Clean Energy Regulator’s published guidance and its compliance updates
- onboarding sessions run by your trader or agent
- internal reviews where the team picks a recent claim and checks it against the list
Run a refresher whenever rules change. The battery photo and evidence rules that began on 1 March 2026 are a recent example, and the Cheaper Home Batteries factor steps every six months; see the installer guide.
Compliance software
Compliance software should do five things: capture photos in the app with a timestamp and location, prompt for each required shot, check serials against product lists, hold the signed forms, and warn you before an incomplete job is submitted. A tool that only stores files is a filing cabinet, not compliance. Ask any vendor how it handles rule changes and whether it exports a full job file for audit.
Some traders also offer a pre-lodgement check. Energy Merchants’ compliance desk reviews photos, forms and serials before lodgement, which catches problems before they cost time. See how it works.
What this means for installers
Make the checklist a gate: no job is submitted until a second person has ticked every item. Most failures are not fraud. They are a missing photo, a mistyped serial or a form signed by the wrong person, and they are cheap to avoid.
If an audit does arrive, read what to expect from an audit letter and the guide to how STC audits work. The wider market view is in the STC trading overview.