A trader asking for more photos is doing their job. If the evidence does not prove the installation, the claim can fail validation or be selected for audit, and the trader and the installer both wear the risk. Here is how to respond and how to stop it recurring.
What traders are checking
| Evidence | What it should show |
|---|---|
| Serial numbers | Legible, matching the equipment list and the claim |
| System overview | The array, battery or unit in place at the correct address |
| Location context | Something tying the photos to the property |
| Safety and protection | Isolators, labelling, mounting and clearances as required |
| Installer and date | Consistent with the form and certificate |
The detailed lists are in the STC photo requirements, the battery photo guide and the solar photo requirements. New battery evidence rules applied from 1 March 2026.
Responding when the job is done
- Ask which shots are missing or unusable, by name.
- Look for photos you already have: crew phones, handover pictures, commissioning screenshots, inverter or app screens that show serials.
- If you must return to site, take new photos and say clearly that they were taken after the install and when. Do not pass them off as originals.
- If you cannot supply something, tell the trader plainly. They may be able to lodge with an explanation or advise that the claim will not proceed.
Never use a photo from another job or edit one. The consequences are on battery STC fraud penalties and are far worse than a delay.
Why photos fail again and again
Common faults are blurry serials, shots taken from too far away, a battery photographed before it was fixed in place, missing protection details and photos with no context. Most are habits. A short on-site checklist, taken before the crew packs up, fixes almost all of them.
What this means for installers
Make photos part of commissioning, not an afterthought. Use a job app that forces the required shots, check them before leaving, and upload the same day. An external check helps too: our compliance desk reviews photos before lodgement and tells you what is missing while the crew can still fix it. See how it works and top STC claim rejection reasons.
From the desk: photograph the serial with the label and the unit in the same frame where possible. It answers the “is this the same unit” question in one image.
If the problem is a CER request rather than your trader, see STCs stuck at the CER. The scheme overview is on STC trading, and start trading if you want the pre-check on every claim.