Creating an LGC is a compliance exercise as much as a trading one. There is nothing to sell until the Clean Energy Regulator (CER) has accredited the station, the registry has accepted the generation data and the certificate has been created in an account that can transfer it. Each step has its own evidence, and each is a place where a project can stall.
This guide walks through the sequence, shows the arithmetic for a worked example and flags the change that took effect on 1 October 2026. It is general information. The CER’s own pages and the REC Registry guides govern the detail, including forms, fees and deadlines, which we do not quote because they change.
First check: is it an LGC system at all?
The answer depends on size and date:
| System | Installed | Certificate type |
|---|---|---|
| Solar up to 100 kW | Any time | STCs, created up front under the small-scale scheme |
| Solar above 100 kW and up to 1 MW | From 1 October 2026 | STCs with a fixed five-year deeming period; CER says applications open mid to late November 2026 |
| Solar above 100 kW | Before 1 October 2026 | LGCs, as an accredited power station |
| Solar above 1 MW | Any time | LGCs |
| Wind, hydro, bioenergy and other eligible sources above small-scale limits | Any time | LGCs |
If your system falls in the second row, read mid-scale solar STCs before going further, because the STC route may suit you better. The rest of this guide is for stations that sit on the LGC side.
Step 1: Accredit the power station
An eligible renewable power station must be accredited by the CER before it can create LGCs. The application is made through the REC Registry and covers the station’s details, its energy source, its capacity, location, ownership and, where relevant, the evidence that it meets the eligibility rules. Typical supporting material includes:
- Evidence of ownership or the right to claim certificates
- Single-line diagrams and capacity details
- Metering arrangements
- Planning and connection approvals where relevant
- For some sources, fuel and waste information
Accreditation is assessed against the legislation, and the CER can ask for more information. A clean, complete application saves weeks.
Step 2: Set up the registry account
Create or use a REC Registry account for the person who will manage the certificates, and make sure the right people have the right permissions. A registered person must be clear about who is allowed to create, transfer and surrender certificates. Keep the contact details current, because CER correspondence goes there.
Step 3: Metering and generation data
LGCs are created from measured generation. Each station needs reliable metering that meets the CER’s requirements, and the data must be traceable to the meter. For a solar farm connected to the grid, the network meter data is often the basis. For behind-the-meter generation, check whether generation can be measured separately from consumption. Problems here are among the most common causes of delays.
Step 4: Create the certificates
Once accredited, the station owner or their agent enters generation data in the registry and applies to create LGCs. The CER validates the data. One LGC is created for each MWh of eligible generation above the station’s baseline, if it has one. Newer stations generally have no baseline, so each MWh counts. Creation must happen within the timeframe the CER sets, measured from the generation period, so build a calendar and do not leave data sitting.
A worked example: a 1.2 MW ground-mounted solar station with a 25 percent capacity factor generates 1.2 x 8,760 x 0.25 = 2,628 MWh a year, so about 2,628 LGCs. At a price in the roughly $6 to $9 September 2026 range, that is about $15,800 to $23,700 a year. Monthly creation gives about 219 LGCs, worth $1,300 to $2,000.
Because the certificate revenue is small at current prices, the cost of the compliance work matters more than it did. If a station is above 100 kW and was installed from 1 October 2026, it should not be here at all: a 1.2 MW system is above the 1 MW cap and stays in the LGC scheme, but an 800 kW system installed from 1 October 2026 in zone 3 would create 800 x 1.382 x 5 = 5,528 STCs, about $215,600 at $39.
Step 5: Transfer or sell
LGCs are held in the station’s registry account. To sell, the owner transfers them to the buyer’s account. Typical buyers are electricity retailers with liability, corporate buyers and traders. The sale terms, price and timing sit in the contract between the parties, and the registry records the transfer. Check the buyer’s registry account details before you transfer, because a transfer to the wrong account is difficult to reverse.
At the time of writing, LGCs are oversupplied and cheap, roughly $6 to $9 in September 2026. Do not quote a price as current. See why LGC prices are falling.
Step 6: Annual obligations
Accredited stations have reporting obligations, including an annual return of generation data and compliance with the conditions of accreditation. Keep metering records, invoices and maintenance logs for the period the CER requires. Failure to meet obligations can affect the ability to create certificates.
The new Guarantee of Origin scheme
The Guarantee of Origin scheme began on 3 November 2025, creating REGO certificates that can be time-stamped and that continue beyond 2030, when the RET ends. REGO certificates are available alongside LGCs initially. A station owner should check whether to register for both. See the CER’s pages on the scheme for current rules.
From the desk: the commonest delay we hear about is metering evidence that does not match the registry entry. Before you submit anything, check that the meter identifier, the capacity and the dates on your documents agree with each other. A 10-minute check beats a six-week query.
A creation checklist
- Confirm the system is an LGC system, not a mid-scale STC system.
- Accreditation application lodged with complete evidence.
- Registry account and permissions set up.
- Metering confirmed and data traceable.
- Calendar for creation deadlines.
- Buyer and contract agreed before transfer.
- Annual return scheduled.
Who does the work
Many station owners do not run the registry themselves. They appoint an agent, an asset manager or a trader to prepare generation data, create certificates and transfer them. If you do that, put the responsibilities in writing: who enters the data, who checks the meter reads, who signs off before creation and who is responsible for fixing a rejected entry. The CER’s records will carry the name of the registered person, so make sure it is the right one. See also the answer on creating LGCs for how a trader fits into the process.
Mistakes that cost certificates
Late creation is the costly one. If generation data is not entered within the CER’s timeframe, the certificates for that period may not be created at all. Others include estimated meter reads that do not match billing data, capacity figures that differ between the accreditation file and the metering documents and generation counted from a period before accreditation was granted. Each can be avoided with a monthly routine.
What to do next
- Read the LGC pillar at /lgcs/ and the LGC glossary entry.
- For the registry itself, see the REC Registry definition and the answer on how to create LGCs.
- For commercial installers, read selling commercial solar with LGCs.
- For small-scale certificates, start trading or check our pricing page.