Topic
Lodging claims: registry, paperwork and payment timing
35 pages, one place. Start with the quick answers, go deeper with the articles.
Quick answers 35
- Can you claim STCs when adding panels to an existing system?Often yes, for the added capacity only. STCs are created for new panels that add capacity, not for the existing ones. The job must be classed correctl…
- How do you become a registered agent for STCs?You apply to the Clean Energy Regulator to be a registered person and agent, pass the fit and proper person test, then act for owners under signed aut…
- How do NSW solar installers lodge the CCEW (Certificate of Compliance)?In NSW the licensed electrician completes a Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work (CCEW) after testing and lodges it electronically with NSW F…
- Victoria Certificate of Electrical Safety for solar: who lodges it and when?In Victoria the registered electrical contractor or electrician lodges a Certificate of Electrical Safety (CES) with Energy Safe Victoria after the el…
- How do you create STCs in the REC Registry, one at a time or in bulk?Log in to the REC Registry, create a new small generation unit record with the system, product and installer details, attach the evidence and submit. …
- Do you need distributor (DNSP) approval before or after solar installation for.Distributor (DNSP) connection approval is a network requirement, not a certificate rule, so STCs do not depend on it in the same way they depend on ac…
- What documents do you need to claim STCs?For a solar claim you need a signed STC assignment form, installation photos, the electrical safety certificate, panel and inverter serial numbers, th…
- Queensland electrical safety certificate for solar: who lodges it?In Queensland the licensed electrician completes a certificate of testing and compliance (or testing and safety) for the electrical work and lodges or…
- How long must installers keep STC records and assignment forms?The Clean Energy Regulator's guidance for registered agents and solar retailers is to keep the evidence behind every STC for at least five years from …
- Do STC installation photos need geotags and metadata? Phone or camera?Since 1 March 2026 battery photos must be geotagged and timestamped, with metadata matching your on-site installer photos. Solar photos are strongly e…
- How long do STCs take to register and how long does CER validation take?Clean claims can register within days, while the Clean Energy Regulator says validation usually takes four to six weeks where it needs a closer look, …
- Do I need a CES or CCEW to claim STCs?A CES (Victoria) or CCEW (NSW) is a state electrical safety document, not a field in the STC claim. You do not lodge it with the Clean Energy Regulato…
- What do REC Registry STC statuses mean: pending audit, registered, failed?Pending audit means the Clean Energy Regulator is still checking the claim. Registered means it passed and the certificates exist. Failed validation m…
- How do you register for the REC Registry and fix login problems?You register an account on the REC Registry with identity and business details, then link or apply to be a registered person if you will create certif…
- Can failed STCs be recreated, and how do you resubmit them?Often yes. When the reason for failure can be fixed, you can create the certificates again and must declare the earlier failure, giving the previous c…
- What if a serial number does not match in the REC Registry?A serial number mismatch means the number entered for a panel, inverter or battery does not match the evidence or the approved product data. Check the…
- How do you capture panel, inverter and battery serial numbers for an STC claim?Capture every panel and inverter serial number by scanning or photographing the barcode label, and record the battery serial from its compliance plate…
- Solar connection approval by network: Ausgrid, Energex, Ergon, Powercor and moreEvery solar system connects through the local distribution network, so the network that serves the address decides where you apply: Ausgrid or Endeavo…
- Solar electrical certificates in SA, WA, Tasmania, the NT and the ACTEach state and territory has its own electrical compliance document for solar work: a certificate of compliance in SA, a notice of completion in WA, a…
- Is my solar system eligible for STCs?Your system is probably eligible if it is under 100 kW, uses new CEC-approved panels and inverter, was installed by an accredited installer and has ha…
- What is the 12 month deadline to create STCs, and can you claim after it?Small-scale technology certificates must be created in the REC Registry within 12 months of the installation date. After that the system generally can…
- Who signs the STC assignment form for a company, trust or deceased owner?The form must be signed by someone with authority to bind the owner. For a company that is a director or authorised officer, for a trust it is the tru…
- Can an STC assignment form be signed electronically or digitally?Yes, an STC assignment form can generally be signed electronically, provided the process reliably identifies the signer, captures their agreement to t…
- What must an STC assignment form include, and when must it be signed?An STC assignment form identifies the owner and the system, states that the owner assigns the right to create certificates, records what they receive …
- Who signs the STC assignment form for a rental: the tenant or the landlord?The system owner assigns the right to create STCs, and in a rental that is normally the landlord, not the tenant. A tenant can sign only where they ow…
- STC claim submission steps and the mistakes installers makeCollect and check the documents, create the system record in the REC Registry, upload photos and details, assign the claim to your trader, then wait f…
- Can you claim STCs without an electrical certificate?In practice, no. STCs can only be created for a system installed in line with state and territory electrical laws, and the electrical safety certifica…
- How many photos does an STC claim need? An installer's photo checklistThe Clean Energy Regulator does not publish one magic number of photos. It expects enough clear evidence to show the installer on site through the mai…
- Can a subcontractor take the STC photos for my installation?A subcontractor can take the photos, but the photos must still show the work and, for attendance, the accredited installer responsible for the job. Th…
- Why did my STCs fail: photos, duplicate serial numbers or address mismatch?Most failed claims come down to photos that are missing, illegible or lack location data, serial numbers that are wrong or already used elsewhere, or …
- STCs failed because the installer's accreditation had expired. What now?STCs can only be created for work done by an installer who held current accreditation on the installation date. If accreditation had lapsed, the claim…
- What happens if my STCs fail validation or the application is rejected?A failed claim means the Clean Energy Regulator did not register the certificates. They cannot be traded, the failure reason is shown in the registry,…
- Which solar systems are eligible for STCs?Eligible systems are new, grid-connected or off-grid solar PV of up to 100 kW with annual output under 250 MWh, built from CEC-approved panels and inv…
- What is the designer and installer written statement for solar and batteries?The designer and installer written statement is a signed declaration from the accredited people who designed and installed the system, confirming that…
- What is the solar retailer written statement for the CER.The solar retailer written statement is a document the retailer provides, and keeps, to show the Clean Energy Regulator that the sale met the scheme's…
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