How do I check a solar installer is accredited?
Five registers, five minutes, before you sign. Every federal and Victorian incentive on this site depends on who does the work: the certificates need an accredited installer and approved products, the $1,400 Solar Homes rebate is only paid through an authorised retailer, and the consumer code is what you lean on if it goes wrong. Ask for the numbers below and look each one up yourself. Checked 23 September 2026.
The five checks and where to run them.
| What you're checking | Where | What to ask the company for | What a match proves |
|---|---|---|---|
| The person on the roof is accredited | Solar Accreditation Australia status check | Their SAA accreditation number and full name | Current accreditation to design or install grid-connected solar, batteries or stand-alone systems. Without it no certificates can be created, so the federal discount on your quote depends on this one. |
| The business can offer the Solar Homes rebate | Solar Victoria authorised retailer search | Their trading name and ABN | They are on Solar Victoria's list for solar or hot water, audited by the program, and can be removed for breaching its terms. The $1,400 rebate is only paid through a listed retailer. |
| The seller is bound by a consumer code | New Energy Tech Consumer Code approved seller search | Their NETCC approved seller status | Every Solar Victoria solar and battery retailer must sign the code. It covers sales practice, detailed quotes, refund terms and after-sale service, and gives you a complaints path. |
| The electrician is licensed | Energy Safe Victoria public register | The electrician's licence number and the Registered Electrical Contractor (REC) number | A current Class A licence and a registered contractor who must arrange the inspection and issue your Certificate of Electrical Safety. |
| Every product is approved | Clean Energy Council approved product lists | The exact panel, inverter and battery model numbers on the quote | The federal certificates and the battery discount only apply to products on the CEC lists. A quote without model numbers can't be checked. |
What the quote itself has to show.
- The certificate count and the price per certificate. The federal discount is those two numbers multiplied. The count should match the STC table for your zone exactly; the price is the installer's, usually a few dollars under the spot price.
- Exact product models. Panel, inverter and battery model numbers, so you can check the Clean Energy Council lists. "Tier 1 panels" is not a model number.
- The accreditation number of the person installing. Not the sales rep, not the company. The certificates are created against that person's accreditation.
- The Solar Homes rebate as its own line, deducted from the price, if you're eligible and the retailer is authorised. The rebate is paid to the retailer, not to you.
- The assignment form. You sign the Clean Energy Regulator's STC assignment form to give the certificates to the installer in exchange for the discount. Read it; it's the legal basis for the number on the quote.
If it goes wrong, in this order.
| Step | Who | What they can do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The retailer, in writing | Fix the problem under the whole-of-system and product warranties. Keep every message. |
| 2 | Solar Victoria, 1300 376 393 or complaints@team.solar.vic.gov.au | Bring you and the retailer together if they've stopped responding on a rebate job. |
| 3 | Clean Energy Council, as NETCC code administrator | Investigate a breach of the consumer code by an approved seller. |
| 4 | Consumer Affairs Victoria | Explain your rights under Australian Consumer Law and help manage the dispute. |
| 5 | VCAT | A formal hearing if you're seeking compensation or a refund. |
Want one installer who already passes all five?
Pick the upgrade and send the job. Tidy Energy, our partner and a Victorian installer, comes back with the figures for your address and one quote. One call, no cost, no obligation, and you can run the five checks on them too.
No email, no phone number. The figures appear on the next page, and the only thing we ask after that is whether you'd like to call.
Questions people ask.
How do I check if a solar company is legit?
Five checks, each on a government or industry register: the installer's Solar Accreditation Australia number, the retailer on Solar Victoria's authorised list, NETCC approved seller status, the electrician on the Energy Safe Victoria register, and every product on the Clean Energy Council lists. A company that won't hand over those numbers is the warning sign, not the paperwork.
What should a solar quote show about the rebate?
The certificate count (STCs) and the price per certificate, itemised, with the installer's accreditation number, the exact product models, and the Solar Homes rebate as its own line if you're claiming it. The Clean Energy Regulator's assignment form is what you sign to hand the certificates to the installer in exchange for the discount.
Who do I complain to if a solar installer does the wrong thing?
In order: the retailer in writing, then Solar Victoria on 1300 376 393 or complaints@team.solar.vic.gov.au for a rebate job, then the Clean Energy Council as NETCC code administrator for a code breach, then Consumer Affairs Victoria for your rights under Australian Consumer Law, then VCAT for a formal hearing. Keep every message.
Is an SAA accredited installer the same as a CEC accredited installer?
Solar Accreditation Australia took over installer accreditation from the Clean Energy Council in 2024. An installer who quotes a CEC accreditation number should be able to show the same number on the SAA register. The CEC still runs the approved product lists and the retailer program.