STC compliance is a habit, not a form. The Clean Energy Regulator (CER) does not need to catch you doing something dramatic. It checks whether the paperwork for a job matches what happened on the roof, and whether the person who signed the statement was the person who did the work. Installers who struggle are rarely careless on purpose. They are busy, and the steps that feel optional on a Friday afternoon turn out to be the ones audited.
This is a working checklist, in the order the steps appear on a real job. It reflects the CER’s stated 2026-27 focus: installers and retailers must give true and correct written statements, systems must meet all local, state, territory and federal requirements, and agents must check documentation before claims are lodged.
Before the job: eligibility
Compliance starts before you pick up a tool.
- Your accreditation is current. Solar installers need Clean Energy Council accreditation, and a licence appropriate to the work in your state. Check expiry dates for every crew member who will sign.
- The products are approved. Panels and inverters must appear on the relevant approved lists, and the CER runs a Solar Panel Validation Initiative to catch claims for unapproved panels. Match the model you quote to the list, not just the brand.
- The system is eligible. Fixed rooftop or ground-mounted systems that meet the SRES size limits and are connected to the grid, or an eligible stand-alone system. If a site is borderline, our guide to what is eligible for STCs covers it.
- The customer has consented. Their signed assignment form is a legal document, and your trader needs it. See the STC assignment form guide.
On site: attendance and supervision
The on-site attendance rules are among the most audited parts of the scheme. An accredited installer must be physically present, and the installer who signs the statement must be the one who carried out the work or properly supervised it, under the rules in force. Do not sign for a job you did not attend. If your team structure means an accredited installer supervises several crews, read the supervision requirements closely before you rely on it. The answer on installer attendance requirements is a sensible starting point.
Photos that stand up
Photos are your evidence. The practical standard is photos that show the actual installation, at the actual address, taken at the time of installation. Typical sets include the arrays, the inverter, the serial numbers, isolators and labelling, plus site-identifying shots.
Common failures:
- Photos that do not show the serial number clearly
- Photos reused from another job
- Photos with no sign of the address or site
- Metadata that does not match the install date
Our photo requirements guide lists the set, and the rejection reasons article shows what goes wrong most often.
The written statement
The installer written statement is where accountability sits. It says you did what the paperwork says. Complete it yourself, accurately, on the day. Never pre-sign blank forms and never let an office complete it on your behalf without checking. The CER has said it will remove installers who give false statements. Our answer on the installer written statement explains what is asked.
After the job: records
Keep, for each job:
| Record | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Signed assignment form | Proves the customer assigned the right to create STCs |
| Installer written statement | Your sworn account of the install |
| Photo set with originals | Evidence of the work |
| Product serial numbers | Matches claim to approved list |
| Electrical safety documentation | Proves the system met requirements |
| Invoice and payment records | Proves the transaction |
Store originals, not just compressed copies. When an audit arrives, you may have a short window to respond.
A worked example of cost
Suppose you install 40 systems a month, at about 45 STCs each, with a market price around $38. Each job’s certificates are worth roughly $1,710. If your claim error rate is 3%, that is about one claim a month, around $1,700, caught in validation or audit. Add the delay in payment, the rework time, and the risk to your standing with the trader. Dropping the error rate to 1% saves more than a month of fuel for the crew. Compliance is cheap when it is a routine and expensive when it is a rescue.
From the desk: Run a five-minute check on every job before the claim leaves your office: right serials, right address on every photo, signed forms, installer who signed was the installer on site. Most rejected claims fail one of those four. A second pair of eyes, even your admin person with a checklist, catches the majority.
When an audit arrives
If the CER or your trader asks for evidence, respond promptly and completely, and keep copies of what you send. Our guide to how STC audits work explains the process, and the answer on CER audits for solar installers covers what to expect. If a claim cannot be supported, a trader will usually tell you quickly. Hiding the problem only makes it more expensive. Read what a clawback means so you know where you stand.
Choosing a trader that helps
A good trader pre-checks claims before lodging them, so errors are found on day one rather than month three. At Energy Merchants the compliance desk reviews photos, forms and serials before anything is lodged, which is the kind of check to ask any trader about. See the STC trading page for how that fits the claim process.
Training the crew, not just the office
Compliance fails at the point of work, so the people on the roof have to own it. Run a short toolbox briefing each quarter: what the photo set is, what the statement says, what happens when an audit lands. Use real examples from your own rejected claims, with names removed. Installers learn faster from a mistake that cost their own crew $1,700 than from a regulator’s guidance note.
Also define who may sign. If your business has several accredited installers, write down which jobs each is responsible for and make sure the person whose name appears on the statement is the person who was there. When staff leave, remove their access to your claim portal the same day, and make sure their accreditation details are no longer used on new paperwork.
What to do next
- Print the checklist above and make it a sign-off step in your job app or paperwork
- Audit ten recent jobs against it this week
- Read the CER priorities for 2026-27 and the history behind them in the CER integrity review
- Browse the resources hub for forms and checklists