From Friday 1 April 2022, a range of new legal requirements apply to all solar PV installers and designers, agents, retailers and manufacturers and importers who participate in the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES).

To assist solar businesses to comply with the new obligations, the Clean Energy Regulator has updated the information on its website and created new sample forms and guidelines. Its short videos, webinar recordings with downloadable presentation slides and Q&A documents are available to support compliance with the new requirements.

Changes for agents

Agents are now required to obtain an updated version of the written statement from installers and new written statements from designers and retailers to claim small-scale technology certificates (STCs). There are also new requirements to collect inverter serial number data.

Changes for solar retailers

Solar retailers are now required to complete a written statement relating to any solar PV system they procure, sell and install which will be used to claim STCs. Solar retailers will need to provide this statement to their agent. To assist solar retailers with the new requirements, the Clean Energy Retailer has developed web pages specifically for retailers as well as a sample statement which can be found at the bottom of this article.

There are now new and updated obligations for accredited installers and designers. The installer written statement has been updated and a new statement is now required from system designers.

Inverter serial numbers

Inverter manufacturers or importers now need to provide inverter serial numbers to the Clean Energy Regulator’s inverter serial number ledger for all inverters eligible for STCs (and listed on the CEC’s approved inverter list).

Solar panel serial numbers

Solar panel manufacturers or importers must continue to provide solar panel serial numbers to the Clean Energy Regulator’s solar panel serial number ledger for all solar panels eligible for STCs (and listed on the CEC’s approved inverter list).

For solar panel manufacturers or importers that work with a verification service provider in the Solar Panel Validation (SPV) Initiative, they will continue to upload your solar panel serial number data on your behalf.

Solar panel manufacturers or importers who are not part of the SPV Initiative will still need to upload serial numbers to the Clean Energy Regulator’s solar panel ledger for all solar panels you have listed as eligible for STCs. However, there will now no longer be any notices from the CEC to provide data.

For more information on the changes and several relevant documents, follow this link.