The Clean Energy Regulator is pleased to announce that over 50 per cent of small-scale technology certificate (STC) claims are now submitted using solar panel validation (SPV).
We launched SPV in 2018, in partnership with the renewable energy industry to give greater assurance of the eligibility of solar panels under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES).
SPV aims to protect the integrity of the SRES, the industry and consumers by providing an easy way to check and confirm that solar panels are genuine and eligible for STCs – meaning they meet Australian standards for quality and performance and are backed by manufacturer warranties.
This time last year about 5 per cent of STC claims used SPV. The use of SPV has rapidly increased over the past several months and we expect it will continue. This increase is driven by more accredited installers and registered agents using SPV to help protect their business and provide their customers with confidence that the product they are receiving is genuine.
STC claims submitted using SPV are being processed within 24 hours, subject to meeting all requirements under the scheme. STC claims submitted without SPV undergo a more detailed assessment, resulting in longer processing times of four to six weeks.
Over 95 per cent of solar panels eligible under the SRES can be verified using SPV, with further solar panel brands seeking to be added to the list of over 40 currently participating brands.
See Solar Panel Validation Initiative to learn how SPV works.