Three faults account for a large share of failures. They look small and are easy to prevent.
1. Photos
The photo requirements are specific: the right items, legible labels, and time, date and location data. The usual faults are:
- Required items missing, such as the array, inverter label or battery label.
- Blurry or cropped label text.
- Photos without metadata, or taken somewhere other than the property.
- Photos from two different jobs mixed in one upload.
The Clean Energy Regulator (CER) now monitors photos closely, as covered in geolocation and AI photo checks. Your checklist is the STC photo requirements.
Fix: retake only if you can honestly show the installation, then recreate. See how to resubmit.
2. Duplicate or wrong serial numbers
Panel, inverter and battery serials must match the equipment installed. A claim can fail because:
- A serial was mistyped and matches a different product or an earlier claim.
- The same serial was used across two systems.
- A bulk upload copied a row down by mistake.
Where the serial truly appears on another claim, you need to know why. It might be a data entry error on the earlier claim, or a system that was moved or reinstalled. If another claim is the problem, see STCs already claimed on this house.
Fix: read serials from the labels or photographs, not from the delivery docket. Run a duplicate check in your spreadsheet before upload.
3. Address mismatch
The address in the registry claim, the assignment form, the retailer statement and the network approval should all match. Mismatches come from unit numbers, lot and plan descriptions, abbreviations or a customer’s mailing address used instead of the installation address.
Fix: use the installation address exactly as on the rates notice or title. Check it once against the photo context shot.
What this means for installers
Fix the process, not the claim. Add a serial and address check before lodgement, and use a photo checklist on site. If your claims keep failing, ask your trader for the failure reasons by category, then compare with the top claim rejection reasons.
Related reading is why a claim was rejected and fix a failed claim. Pillar: STC trading. Our compliance pre-check is built around exactly these three fault types.
A one-minute pre-lodgement check
Before lodging, check five things: every required photo is present and legible, the serials match the invoice and the labels, the address is identical across the claim, form and statement, the dates run in a sensible order, and the installer details are current. If anything fails, fix it first. This check takes a minute and avoids weeks of delay.