Topic
Glossary
132 pages, one place. Start with the quick answers, go deeper with the articles.
In depth 19
- How to Claim STCs: Step by Step for InstallersA nine-step walk-through of claiming STCs after a solar, battery or heat pump job: assignment, evidence, calculation, lodgement and payment, with timi…
- Commercial Solar SRES 1 MW Expansion: Installer GuideInstaller guide to mid-scale STCs from 1 October 2026: eligibility checklist, quoting, the gap to late November, evidence for large claims and cash fl…
- Heat Pump STCs: A Guide for PlumbersA working guide for plumbers claiming STCs on heat pump hot water: eligibility, new versus replacement, zones, paperwork, Victorian VEECs and an on-si…
- Installer Cash Flow Guide for STCsHow STC settlement terms shape installer cash flow: a worked 50-job model, the December and January pinch, battery claims, clawback reserves and a wee…
- Who Owns the STCs? A Guide for Solar OwnersWho owns the STCs on a solar, battery or heat pump job: the system owner, when you assign them to an installer, what to check on the form, and tenant …
- Solar installer insurance guide: what cover you needA practical guide to insurance for solar and battery installers: public liability, products, tools, vehicles, workers compensation and what to check i…
- Solar installer licensing by state: who needs whatElectrical licence, contractor registration, SAA accreditation and scheme approvals for solar installers in each state and territory, and what a lapse…
- Solar rebate scams in Australia: how to spot themCold calls, fake government rebates, upfront fees and inflated STC claims: the scam patterns in solar and batteries, what an honest quote looks like a…
- STC Clearing House guide: how the $40 price worksHow the CER's STC Clearing House works: the fixed $40 price, the queue, GST, why spot sits below it and when a trader beats it. With worked numbers.
- STC Compliance Guide for Solar Installers 2026What the Clean Energy Regulator expects from solar installers in 2026: accreditation, evidence, audits, clawback risk, battery labelling and a monthly…
- STC Deeming Period Guide 2026 to 2030Year by year STC deeming period guide for 2026 to 2030: certificates lost each January by zone, and what stays fixed for batteries and mid-scale solar…
- STC price forecast guide: signals to watch to 2030A working guide to reading the STC market yourself: the $40 ceiling, deeming maths, the liability percentage, battery and mid-scale supply, with a quo…
- STC Price History 2019 to 2026: What MovedSTC prices from 2019 to 2026: the $40 clearing house ceiling, why spot stayed in a narrow band, and why a solar job's value fell as deeming shrank.
- The STC Scheme for Installers: A Complete GuideHow the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme works for installers in 2026: eligibility, STC maths by zone, battery tiers, deeming to 2030, claim flow a…
- STC Trading Guide for Installers 2026How STC trading works for installers in 2026: spot vs clearing house, trader models, deductions, settlement times, contract checks and comparing offer…
- STCs for farms and rural properties: a practical guideHow STCs work on farms and rural properties: zone ratings, off-grid systems, the 100 kW line and new 1 MW mid-scale rule, GST and ABN, with worked exa…
- STCs for off-grid solar and caravans: what qualifiesOff-grid solar can earn STCs; panels on a moving caravan, boat or portable kit generally cannot. How premises, accreditation, zones and deeming decide…
- STCs for strata and body corporate solar: a guideHow STCs work for strata and body corporate solar: who owns the system, who assigns the certificates, GST and ABN points, and a worked example for a 3…
- How to Switch STC Trader Without Losing a PaymentA practical plan for switching STC traders: what to check in your contract, how to handle claims in flight, a 30-day trial, and the mistakes that leav…
Terms 113
- AC coupled batteryAn AC coupled battery connects to the home's AC wiring through its own battery inverter, separate from the solar inverter. It suits retrofits onto exi…
- AC-coupled batteryAn AC-coupled battery is a battery with its own inverter that connects to the AC side of a property's wiring, alongside the existing solar inverter. I…
- Accredited certificate providerAn accredited certificate provider (ACP) is a business accredited under the New South Wales Energy Savings Scheme to create and register Energy Saving…
- Accredited person (VEU)An accredited person under the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) program is a business accredited by the Essential Services Commission to create VEECs f…
- AS/NZS 4777.2AS/NZS 4777.2 is the Australian and New Zealand standard for grid-connection of energy systems via inverters. It sets the inverter's required behaviou…
- AS/NZS 5139AS/NZS 5139 is the joint Australian and New Zealand safety standard for electrical installations with battery systems used alongside power conversion …
- STC assignment formAn STC assignment form is the signed document in which the owner of a small-scale system assigns the right to create the system's STCs to another part…
- Backup power gatewayA backup power gateway is the switching and control device that disconnects a home from the grid during a blackout and lets the battery and solar supp…
- Battery STC tierBattery STC tiers are bands of usable capacity that earn different shares of the STC factor. Since 1 May 2026, the first 14 kWh earn 100% of the facto…
- Battery tier factorThe battery tier factor is the percentage applied to the STC factor for each band of a battery's usable capacity under the Cheaper Home Batteries Prog…
- Behind-the-meterBehind-the-meter describes equipment, such as rooftop solar or a home battery, on the customer's side of the electricity meter. Its output can be used…
- Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)A Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) is a complete system that stores electricity in batteries and releases it later, including the battery, inverte…
- BSTC (battery STC)A BSTC is the shorthand for a battery STC, a Small-scale Technology Certificate created for an eligible battery installed under the federal Cheaper Ho…
- Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work (CCEW)A Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work (CCEW) is the document an NSW electrician lodges to confirm that electrical work meets the required st…
- CEC approved battery listThe CEC approved battery list is the Clean Energy Council's register of battery products that have been assessed as meeting the product requirements f…
- CER (Clean Energy Regulator)CER stands for Clean Energy Regulator, the Australian Government body that administers the Renewable Energy Target, including the REC Registry, the cr…
- Certificate surrenderCertificate surrender is the act of a liable entity handing certificates to the regulator to meet its obligation under a renewable energy or energy ef…
- Certificate of Electrical Safety (CES)A Certificate of Electrical Safety (CES) is a compliance certificate an electrician completes after electrical work to confirm it has been tested and …
- Certificate of Electrical Safety (COES), VictoriaA COES, or Certificate of Electrical Safety, is the compliance certificate a Victorian electrician lodges with Energy Safe Victoria after completing p…
- Commissioning dateThe commissioning date is the date a solar or battery system is tested, energised and operating after installation. It often follows the installation …
- DC coupled batteryA DC coupled battery connects on the DC side of the system, charging directly from the solar panels through a shared hybrid inverter. It avoids some c…
- DC-coupled batteryA DC-coupled battery connects to the DC side of a solar system, normally through a hybrid inverter that handles both the panels and the battery. Solar…
- Deemed savingsDeemed savings are fixed, pre-calculated energy or emissions savings that a scheme credits to a standard upgrade or installation, without measuring th…
- Deeming periodThe deeming period is the number of years of expected generation the Clean Energy Regulator credits up front when STCs are created for a small-scale s…
- Demand responseDemand response means changing when electricity is used, or discharged from storage, in response to a price signal, a network request or a market even…
- DoD (Depth of Discharge)DoD stands for depth of discharge, the percentage of a battery's capacity that has been used in a cycle. It is the mirror of state of charge. Manufact…
- DNSP (Distribution Network Service Provider)DNSP stands for distribution network service provider, the business that owns and operates the local poles, wires and substations delivering electrici…
- Distribution Network Service Provider (DNSP)A Distribution Network Service Provider (DNSP) is the business that owns and operates the local poles and wires delivering electricity to homes and bu…
- Dynamic operating envelopeA dynamic operating envelope (DOE) is a limit set by the distribution network that tells a solar or battery customer how much power they can export or…
- Embedded generationEmbedded generation means power generators connected to the local distribution network, close to where electricity is used, rather than to the high-vo…
- Embedded networkAn embedded network is a private electricity network that serves multiple customers within a site, such as an apartment building, retirement village o…
- ESC (Energy Savings Certificate)An ESC (Energy Savings Certificate) is a tradable certificate created under the New South Wales Energy Savings Scheme. Each certificate represents one…
- ESS baselineAn ESS baseline is the estimate of how much energy a site or piece of equipment would have used if the energy-saving upgrade had not been done. Under …
- ESS (Energy Savings Scheme)ESS stands for Energy Savings Scheme, the New South Wales program that creates Energy Savings Certificates (ESCs) for approved energy-saving activitie…
- Export limitAn export limit is a cap, set by the local network, on how much power a solar or battery system may send into the grid at any moment. It is applied th…
- Failed STCA failed STC is a creation that did not pass the Clean Energy Regulator's validation or audit and therefore does not become a valid certificate. Insta…
- Feed-in tariffA feed-in tariff is the rate, in cents per kilowatt-hour, that an electricity retailer pays a household for surplus solar electricity exported to the …
- Forward price (STC)A forward price is a price agreed now for certificates that will be delivered and paid for at a later date. In the STC market it lets a trader and an …
- Geotagged photo (STC evidence)A geotagged photo is a photograph whose file data records the GPS location and the date and time it was taken. Installers use geotagged photos as evid…
- Green energy traderA green energy trader is a business that buys and sells environmental certificates, such as STCs, VEECs and LGCs, between the people who create them a…
- Grid connection applicationA grid connection application is the request an installer or customer lodges with the local network operator to connect a solar, battery or other gene…
- Gross cost and net cost (solar)Gross cost is the total price of a solar or battery system before any STC discount. Net cost is the price the customer actually pays once the STC valu…
- GO (Guarantee of Origin)Guarantee of Origin (GO) is a federal scheme, administered by the Clean Energy Regulator, that issues certificates showing the emissions intensity of …
- Heat pump hot water systemA heat pump hot water system uses a refrigerant cycle to move heat from the surrounding air into a storage tank, using much less electricity than a co…
- Hybrid inverterA hybrid inverter is a single inverter that manages both solar panels and a battery, converting DC from the panels and storage to AC for the home and …
- Installation date (STCs)The installation date is the date a system is installed, as recorded on the STC claim. It decides which deeming period or battery factor applies, so a…
- Installation date vs commissioning dateInstallation date is when a system's physical installation is finished. Commissioning date is when it is tested and switched on to operate. They can f…
- Installer (STCs)For STC purposes, the installer is the Clean Energy Council accredited person who physically installs a solar or battery system, confirms it meets the…
- Installer written statementAn installer written statement is a signed statement from the accredited installer confirming key facts about an installation, such as the work done, …
- Inverter oversizingInverter oversizing means installing more solar panel capacity than the inverter's AC output rating, for example a 6.6 kW array on a 5 kW inverter. It…
- LGC creation (Large-scale Generation Certificate)LGC creation is the process by which an accredited renewable power station registers its measured generation with the Clean Energy Regulator and recei…
- LGC definitionAn LGC (Large-scale Generation Certificate) is a tradable certificate created for each megawatt-hour of eligible renewable electricity generated by an…
- Liable entityA liable entity is a business, typically an electricity retailer or large electricity buyer, that is legally required to acquire and surrender renewab…
- LRET (Large-scale Renewable Energy Target)LRET stands for Large-scale Renewable Energy Target, the part of the federal Renewable Energy Target that drives renewable power stations to create La…
- Large-scale Renewable Energy Target (LRET)The Large-scale Renewable Energy Target (LRET) is the part of the Renewable Energy Target that requires electricity retailers to buy Large-scale Gener…
- Metered baseline methodThe metered baseline method is an Energy Savings Scheme calculation method that sets the baseline from a site's own historical metered energy data, th…
- Mid-scale solarMid-scale solar is a commercial solar system above 100 kW and up to 1 MW. For installs from 1 October 2026 it creates STCs up front with a fixed five-…
- Nameplate capacityNameplate capacity is the rated size shown on a product's label or datasheet, such as a panel's watts, an inverter's kilowatts or a battery's kilowatt…
- Net vs gross meteringNet metering measures only the difference between what a site consumes and what its solar system generates, exporting the surplus to the grid. Gross m…
- NPV (Net Present Value) for solarNPV stands for net present value, the total of a project's future cash flows discounted to today's dollars, minus the upfront cost. A positive NPV mea…
- NETCC (New Energy Tech Consumer Code)NETCC stands for New Energy Tech Consumer Code, the consumer protection code for businesses selling solar, batteries and related energy technology in …
- National Metering Identifier (NMI)The National Metering Identifier (NMI) is a unique code, usually 10 characters long, that identifies an electricity meter connection point in Australi…
- Nominal capacity (battery)Nominal capacity is the headline energy storage figure, in kilowatt-hours, that a manufacturer quotes for a battery before reserve limits are applied.…
- PDRS (Peak Demand Reduction Scheme)PDRS stands for Peak Demand Reduction Scheme, a New South Wales program that creates Peak Reduction Certificates (PRCs) for activities that lower elec…
- Peak demand reduction capacityPeak demand reduction capacity is the amount of electricity demand, measured in kilowatts, that an activity can reliably cut during peak periods. Unde…
- Pending auditPending audit is a registry status showing that a creation has been selected for review by the Clean Energy Regulator and the review has not finished.…
- Point-of-sale discountA point-of-sale discount is a reduction in the customer's upfront price equal to the expected value of the STCs they assign to the seller. The custome…
- PPA (Power Purchase Agreement)PPA stands for power purchase agreement, a contract in which a buyer agrees to purchase electricity from a generator, often an on-site solar system ow…
- Power station accreditationPower station accreditation is the Clean Energy Regulator's approval of a renewable generator under the Renewable Energy Target. An accredited power s…
- PRC (Peak Reduction Certificate)A PRC (Peak Reduction Certificate) is a tradable certificate created under the NSW Peak Demand Reduction Scheme for reducing electricity demand during…
- STC pre-approvalSTC pre-approval is a review of an STC claim before the certificates are bought or transferred, intended to catch errors early. The term is used for c…
- PIAM&V (Project Impact Assessment with Measurement and Verification)PIAM&V stands for Project Impact Assessment with Measurement and Verification, an Energy Savings Scheme method that estimates a project's energy savin…
- RCTI (Recipient-Created Tax Invoice)An RCTI (recipient-created tax invoice) is a tax invoice issued by the buyer of goods or services instead of the seller, under an agreement between bo…
- REC (Renewable Energy Certificate)REC stands for Renewable Energy Certificate, the general term for a certificate representing renewable energy under the federal Renewable Energy Targe…
- REC RegistryThe REC Registry is the Clean Energy Regulator's online register where Small-scale Technology Certificates and Large-scale Generation Certificates are…
- Registered agent (STCs)A registered agent is a person or business registered with the Clean Energy Regulator to create and transfer STCs in the REC Registry on behalf of sys…
- Registered STCA registered STC is a certificate that has passed the Clean Energy Regulator's validation and appears in the REC Registry as registered. Only register…
- REGO (Renewable Electricity Guarantee of Origin)REGO stands for Renewable Electricity Guarantee of Origin, a certificate under the federal Guarantee of Origin scheme representing one megawatt-hour o…
- RET (Renewable Energy Target)RET stands for Renewable Energy Target, the federal scheme that requires electricity retailers and other liable entities to buy renewable energy certi…
- Round-trip efficiency (battery)Round-trip efficiency is the percentage of the electricity stored in a battery that can be retrieved later, after losses in charging, storage and conv…
- SAA (Solar Accreditation Australia)SAA stands for Solar Accreditation Australia, the body that now manages accreditation for solar installers and designers. Accreditation is a condition…
- Settled STCA settled STC is a certificate that has been transferred to a buyer's registry account and paid for. Settlement is the final step in selling an STC an…
- Small Generation Unit (SGU)A Small Generation Unit (SGU) is a small-scale renewable power system, such as rooftop solar of up to 100 kW, small wind or small hydro, that can crea…
- Shortfall chargeThe shortfall charge is a penalty, set in legislation, that a liable entity must pay for each certificate it fails to surrender against its Renewable …
- Simple payback periodSimple payback period is the number of years it takes for cumulative savings to equal the upfront cost of a system, calculated as net cost divided by …
- SGU (Small Generation Unit)SGU stands for small generation unit, a small renewable generator such as a rooftop solar system, small wind turbine or micro-hydro unit that can crea…
- Solar designerA solar designer is the person who prepares and signs off the design of a solar or battery system, covering components, layout, protection and complia…
- Solar retailerA solar retailer is the business that sells a solar or battery system to the customer, often taking the assignment of the customer's STCs and applying…
- Solar water heaterA solar water heater is a hot water system that uses roof-mounted collectors to capture heat from the sun and a storage tank to keep it, usually with …
- Stand-alone Power System (SPS)A stand-alone power system (SPS) is an off-grid electricity supply, typically solar panels, a battery and often a backup generator, that powers a prop…
- SRES (Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme)SRES stands for Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme, the part of the federal Renewable Energy Target that creates STCs for eligible small solar, hot w…
- SPS (Stand-alone Power System)SPS stands for stand-alone power system, a self-contained supply of solar panels, a battery and usually a backup generator that powers a property with…
- SOC (State of Charge)SOC stands for state of charge, the percentage of a battery's usable capacity that is currently stored. At 100% the battery is full and at 0% it has r…
- STC audit statusSTC audit status is the label the REC Registry shows against a creation to indicate whether it has been reviewed by the Clean Energy Regulator and wit…
- STC clawbackSTC clawback is the recovery of money already paid for STCs after the certificates are found to be invalid or are removed from the registry. It is a c…
- STC Clearing HouseThe STC Clearing House is a Clean Energy Regulator facility where holders can sell STCs at a fixed price of $40 each. It acts as a ceiling on the spot…
- STC creation dateThe STC creation date is the date the certificates were created in the REC Registry for an installation. It is separate from the installation date and…
- STC definitionAn STC (Small-scale Technology Certificate) is a federal certificate created under the Renewable Energy Target's Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme f…
- STC factor (battery)The STC factor is the per-kilowatt-hour multiplier that converts a battery's usable capacity into Small-scale Technology Certificates under the Cheape…
- STC spot priceThe STC spot price is the price at which Small-scale Technology Certificates are currently trading in the market for immediate transfer. At the time o…
- STC transfer listAn STC transfer list is the set of certificates, identified by serial numbers, that a registered agent selects to move from its REC Registry account t…
- STC validationSTC validation is the checking of a newly lodged STC creation by the Clean Energy Regulator before the certificates are registered. It confirms the sy…
- Small-scale Technology Percentage (STP)The Small-scale Technology Percentage (STP) is the annual percentage, set by the Clean Energy Regulator, that tells liable entities how many STCs they…
- Surrender (certificates)Surrendering a certificate means a liable entity gives it to the Clean Energy Regulator to meet its Renewable Energy Target obligation. A surrendered …
- System ownerThe system owner is the person or business that owns a solar or battery system at the time of installation. The owner holds the original right to the …
- Time-of-use tariffA time-of-use tariff is an electricity pricing structure where the rate per kilowatt-hour depends on the time of day, typically peak, shoulder and off…
- Unregistered STCAn unregistered STC is a certificate that has been created in the REC Registry for an installation but has not yet been validated and registered by th…
- Usable capacity (battery)Usable capacity is the amount of energy, in kilowatt-hours, that a battery can actually deliver after reserve limits and depth-of-discharge restrictio…
- VEEC definitionA VEEC (Victorian Energy Efficiency Certificate) is a tradable certificate representing one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent abated by an energy-sav…
- VEU product registryThe VEU product registry is the Essential Services Commission's online list of products approved for activities under the Victorian Energy Upgrades pr…
- VPP capableVPP capable means a battery and its inverter can communicate with and be controlled by a virtual power plant operator, for example to charge or discha…
- VPP (Virtual Power Plant)A VPP (virtual power plant) is a network of home batteries and other distributed energy devices that a provider controls together, so they can supply …
- Zone rating (solar STCs)A zone rating is the expected annual generation per kilowatt of solar capacity for one of four climate zones, set by postcode. The ratings are 1.622, …
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