Accreditation has moved

Accreditation of installers and designers has now moved to Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA)

On 29 February 2024, the Clean Energy Regulator (CER) approved the SAA as the new installer and designer accreditation scheme operator (ASO) under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES). Following the legislated three-month transition period, the accreditation program has now fully transitioned to SAA.

Installers and Designers must now apply with Solar Accreditation Australia for any new or renewing accreditation, in order to be eligible for Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs).

Information you will need to apply with SAA:

• name, address and contact details
• business details including ABN/ACN (as applicable)
• proof of identification (for example, driver’s licence)
• current electrical licence number (if you hold grid-connect install accreditation)
  
• current Clean Energy Council (CEC) accreditation number and expiry date
• current picture of yourself (a selfie is acceptable)
• any information on outstanding compliance or rectification works.

VISIT SAA

Important information for installers & designers

Accreditation number

SAA will issue you with a new Accreditation number which will need to be used to claim STCs for all installations from 30 May 2024, or the date you receive your new accreditation number, whichever is earlier.

Your CEC accreditation number can only be used to claim STCs for installations that were completed before 29th May 2024 or until the time you received your new SAA accreditation number, whichever is earlier.

If you have not transferred your CEC accreditation to SAA, you will need to apply for accreditation with SAA and pay a fee. You are ineligible to claim STCs until you have received your new accreditation number from SAA.

Continuous Professional Development (CPD)

SAA will recognise Continuous Professional Development (CPD) completed under the CEC’s accreditation scheme until the course expiry date.

New and renewed courses will subsequently fall under the SAA CPD program.

Access to the Clean Energy Council installer portal

You will have access to the Clean Energy Council installer portal, to allow time for you to access any details you may need to transfer your accreditation.

myCEC access, offering technical information and support, has been extended until July 2024, free of charge.

Our reflection

It has been an honour to perform the role of accreditation body for the past 16 years and we look forward to continuing to support the greatest solar industry in the world through policy and advocacy work, industry events and administration of the current Product Listing process and NETCC programs.

Information shared before decision date

Below is a reminder of some key information the CEC has shared regularly prior to the decision date

• In order to prepare for the transition of accreditation away from the CEC, installers and designers were requested to:
  • Finalise any outstanding compliance activities requested.
  • Update contact details via the CEC Portal Ensure relevant electrical licenses are up-to-date.
  • Once the new provider was announced by the CER, the CEC ceased to have the authority to issue accreditation.
• This means the CEC had to process all applications by the announcement date. If there was an application pending with the CEC we had requested practitioners to respond to CEC requests for further information as soon as possible. Applications that were not finalised before the CER announced their decision were cancelled and those applicants will need to re-apply with SAA. To support a smooth transition to new provider, the CEC had introduced key changes to CEC Accreditation to ensure all applications were processed before the CER’s decision date.
  

CHANGE 1: Cut-off period for applications were introduced and further extended

CHANGE 2: Reduced application fees

• Any provisionally accredited persons with an expiry date between January and April 2024 has had their provisional accreditation extended until April 2024.
• For all upgrade and renewal applications processed between 17 November 2023 and 12 January 2024, the accreditation expiry date has been set to April 2024.
• For all upgrade and renewal applications processed after 12 January 2024, the accreditation expiry date has been set to May 2024.

CHANGE 3: Shorter accreditation period with the CEC and heavily discounted application fees

The CEC ensured installers and designers were able to work through the transition with minimal impact. To support the industry the CEC will offered significantly discounted application fees across multiple scenarios. Here is are the fee changes that was were offered.