SAA (Solar Accreditation Australia)

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

SAA stands for Solar Accreditation Australia. It is the body that manages accreditation for solar installers and designers in Australia. Accreditation proves that a person has the training and standing to install or design systems that can create STCs.

Until recently this role sat with the Clean Energy Council, which is why you will still see “CEC accredited” in older quotes and in the language of the trade. Check SAA’s own site for the current categories and how to renew.

In practice

For an installer, accreditation is on the claim. The accredited person’s details appear on the paperwork, and a claim for a system installed or designed by someone without current accreditation will fail. For batteries under the Cheaper Home Batteries Program, an accredited installer is one of the eligibility conditions, along with a CEC-approved, VPP-capable battery. See battery STCs.

Two housekeeping points save trouble. Keep the expiry date of every accredited person on your crew in a calendar. And make sure the person named on the paperwork is the person who actually did the work, because the registry and the audit trail will both assume they are.

Common confusion

Accreditation is not the same as an electrical licence. A licensed electrician must still do the electrical work, and the state compliance certificate (such as a CES or CCEW) is separate. Accreditation is also different from product approval, which concerns the panels, inverters and batteries rather than the people.

SAA is also not the regulator. The Clean Energy Regulator sets the rules for STCs and checks claims. SAA accredits the people. See CER definition.

For the claim evidence, read the STC photo requirements and the certificate trading glossary.