Accredited certificate provider

Written and checked by the Energy Merchants desk · Reviewed 2 October 2026

An accredited certificate provider, or ACP, is a business or individual accredited under the NSW Energy Savings Scheme to create Energy Savings Certificates. In NSW, only an ACP can create ESCs, and the same framework applies to creating PRCs under the Peak Demand Reduction Scheme.

Accreditation is granted by the scheme administrator for particular activities. It is not general. A provider accredited for lighting upgrades is not automatically accredited for heat pumps or commercial refrigeration.

In practice

Most installers work with ACPs rather than becoming one. A typical arrangement: you perform the upgrade, capture the evidence, and the ACP creates the certificates, sells them, and passes part of the value back through a discount or payment. It pays to understand who holds the accreditation, because the certificates are theirs to create and the compliance obligations sit with them.

If you are thinking of becoming one, expect more than registry paperwork. Providers face record-keeping, evidence and audit requirements, and the scheme administrator can inspect work and claw back certificates. Check the administrator’s own guidance for current requirements.

Not every state uses the same term. In Victoria, the equivalent role is an accredited person under Victorian Energy Upgrades, run by the Essential Services Commission. In the federal STC scheme, the parallel is a registered agent or person registered with the Clean Energy Regulator. See registered agent definition.

Common confusion

ACP accreditation is different from installer accreditation. SAA accredits the people who install solar and batteries. An ACP is an accreditation of a business or person to create certificates in a particular state scheme. You can need both on one job.

It is also not a licence to work on electrical systems. State electrical licensing is separate.

Related terms are in the certificate trading glossary. For the federal certificates, see STC trading and how it works.