About
The Australian Government, in partnership with state and territory governments, has developed a national framework for regulating consumer energy resources – also known as distributed energy resources.
Consumer energy resources are the equipment and technologies that households and businesses use to generate, store, and manage electricity. They include:
- rooftop solar
- home batteries
- electric vehicles (EVs) and EV chargers
- connected appliances that you can control to run at different times, like air conditioners and water heaters.
We are preparing to take on the role of the Consumer Energy Resources National Technical Regulator under the framework, subject to legislation.
Why is this important?
A stable, integrated electricity grid is essential for:
- incorporating the rapidly growing share of supply generated by consumer energy resources
- achieving the Australian Government’s target of 82% renewables by 2030.
As more devices connect to the electricity system, consistent technical requirements will help products and services work together.
The new regulatory framework will give consumers greater confidence in their devices, helping them get more value from their energy systems.
Our role
The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water will lead the development of legislation and of the National CER Technical Code, which will set out technical requirements for devices. Once legislation is in place, we will administer the scheme to ensure devices comply with technical requirements.
We will work closely with the department and engage with key stakeholders as we design and plan for the establishment of the new regulatory functions.
The framework sets out roles for us as the Consumer Energy National Technical Regulator, including:
- registering suppliers and accrediting installers
- certifying regulated products and maintaining public lists of certified products
- collecting and managing information about installed devices
- monitoring compliance and responding to potential breaches.
We will provide further information and guidance on these activities as implementation progresses.
Information for suppliers and installers
The national framework introduces future requirements for suppliers and installers of consumer energy resource products, including devices such as inverters for rooftop solar systems, batteries and electric vehicle chargers. More information about the future technical requirements and installer accreditation obligations is available from the department.
Information for consumers
The national framework is intended to support safe, reliable and interoperable consumer energy resources. More information about the framework and its benefits for consumers is available from the department.
The framework will be implemented progressively and is subject to legislation. You can continue to purchase, install and operate existing consumer energy resource products under current arrangements. The framework will not apply retrospectively and will not cover devices installed before applicable requirements become mandatory.
Stay informed
Visit the department’s website for more information about consumer energy resources or to read the Consumer Energy National Technical Regulatory Framework (2026–2029).
This page will be updated as we establish the role and begin operations. Subscribe, or update your existing subscription preferences, to receive our latest consumer energy national technical regulator updates.