Accrediting a solar power station is the gate to the large-scale scheme. Until it is done, a commercial solar system above the small-scale limit cannot create Large-scale Generation Certificates (LGCs), and every month of generation before accreditation may be lost value. It is a paperwork process with fixed steps, and most of the delay comes from missing information at the start.
First, a point that has changed in 2026. From 1 October 2026, solar PV above 100 kW and up to 1 MW can create STCs under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme with a fixed five-year deeming period. For those systems, you no longer need to accredit a power station to get a certificate. This guide is for systems that still take the LGC route: those above 1 MW, and existing systems above 100 kW that were installed before 1 October 2026. For the choice, see LGC vs STC at 100 kW and the pillar page mid-scale solar STCs.
The steps below follow the Clean Energy Regulator’s (CER) published process as we understand it at the time of writing. Check the CER’s power station accreditation pages for the current forms, fees and timeframes.
What accreditation does
Accreditation is the CER’s confirmation that your power station is eligible to create LGCs under the Renewable Energy Target. Once granted, you can create one LGC for each megawatt-hour of eligible electricity generated above any baseline, by lodging generation data. The certificates are then registered, transferred and sold. See what an LGC is and how to create LGCs.
The steps
1. Become a registered person
Everything in the scheme happens in the REC Registry. The applicant, who must be the owner or operator of the power station, sets up a registered person account. There is a small one-off application fee at the time of writing, and identity and company details are checked. An agent can prepare the application, but the applicant stays the owner or operator.
2. Prepare the evidence before you apply
Gather the following. Missing items are the usual cause of delay.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Ownership and operator details | Legal entity, ABN, who owns and who operates the station |
| Site and capacity | Address, installed capacity in kW or MW, panel and inverter counts |
| Commissioning date | The date the power station first generated |
| Approvals | Planning and environmental approvals, network connection agreement |
| Metering | A diagram of the meters that record generation, and meter details |
| Single line diagram | Showing the generation and metering points |
| Eligibility evidence | Support that the station is eligible, for instance it is not already counted under another scheme |
For solar, the equipment needs to be properly installed to the relevant standards, with electrical safety certificates where required.
3. Submit the application
Complete the power station application in the REC Registry and upload the evidence. You will be asked to confirm the details, declare the information is accurate and pay the accreditation application fee. The fee is set in the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Regulations and depends on the station’s size, so we do not quote it here. Check the CER’s fee schedule before you apply.
4. CER assessment
The CER assesses the application and may ask for more information. Timeframes vary. As a planning rule, allow weeks and, for a complex site, a few months. During assessment, keep generating and keep records.
5. Outcome and accreditation
If the application is approved, the CER notifies you and the power station is accredited. The accreditation date matters for what you can claim. Generation before the accreditation date generally cannot create LGCs, which is why late applications cost money.
6. Create LGCs
After accreditation, you lodge generation data in the REC Registry, and the certificates are created for the electricity generated. Many owners do this monthly or quarterly. Certificates must be validated and registered before they can be transferred. See selling LGCs from a commercial solar system.
7. Keep compliant
Accredited power stations have ongoing obligations: accurate metering, keeping records, reporting generation, notifying the CER of changes to ownership or capacity, and responding to audits. Check the CER’s current obligations list and put the dates in a diary.
A worked cost of delay
A 1.5 MW solar system in zone 3 might generate about 2,250 MWh a year (1,500 kWh per kW). That is 2,250 LGCs a year. At about $8 per LGC, which was the spot price in late September 2026, a year of generation is about $18,000. A three-month delay in accreditation, if it means those months of generation are not eligible, costs about $4,500. The delay is smaller than the system, but it is avoidable.
LGC prices are cheap at the moment, with spot roughly $6 to $9 in September 2026, after a low near $4 in February. That makes the cost-benefit of accreditation tighter than in earlier years, and it makes the cost of the paperwork a bigger share of the return. For a system with a low LGC value, ask whether the project clears its costs, including metering, registry fees and an agent.
Who should not bother
- Solar from 100 kW to 1 MW installed from 1 October 2026. Take the STC path, which pays upfront. A 250 kW zone 3 system creates about 1,727 STCs, roughly $65,600 at $38. The CER says STC applications for mid-scale systems open mid to late November 2026.
- Small systems. Up to 100 kW have always used STCs.
- Systems that do not meet eligibility, for instance where the same generation is already counted elsewhere.
Using an agent
Many owners use a registered agent to prepare the application, manage the REC Registry account and sell the certificates. Check what the agent does, what they charge, who holds the registry login, and what happens if you change agent. Ask for fees in dollars and in cents per certificate. See LGC trader and the LGC trading article.
Why applications stall
Most delays have the same few causes.
- Ownership unclear. The applicant is not the owner or operator, or the entity name does not match the ABN. Fix this before you apply.
- Metering unclear. The diagram shows net metering where gross generation is needed, or a meter that cannot be read as required.
- Approvals missing. Planning or network connection documents are not in the file, or they refer to a different capacity from the one applied for.
- Commissioning date unsupported. There is no evidence of when the system first generated, so the CER cannot set the start of eligible generation.
- Inconsistent capacity. The panel count, inverter size and declared capacity do not agree.
A short internal review before submission, where someone who did not prepare the application reads it against the evidence, catches most of these. If you use an agent, ask them to do it and to tell you what they find. See LGC accreditation and the registry for the registry background.
What to do next
- Decide your path: STCs for 100 kW to 1 MW installed from 1 October 2026, accreditation for LGCs above 1 MW.
- Put the evidence list together before you open the application.
- Check the CER power station pages for current fees and timeframes.
- Read the LGC pillar and the glossary for definitions.
- For the STC side of commercial jobs, see STC trading and how it works.