- Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA) replaced the Clean Energy Council as the national accreditation scheme operator in 2024. Accreditation belongs to individuals, not companies.
- Only an SAA-accredited designer and installer can create the small-scale technology certificates (STCs) behind your federal solar and battery rebate. No accreditation, no rebate.
- In NSW, only a licensed electrical or building contractor can contract to install rooftop solar, and the wiring must be done by or under the supervision of an electrical licence holder.
- You can check accreditation yourself in a couple of minutes using SAA's installer lookup and the NSW contractor licence register.
- Sine Wave Solar's Warners Bay team is SAA-accredited and NETCC-approved, with 15+ years of electrical trade experience across Newcastle and the Hunter Valley.
The Clean Energy Regulator has now inspected 3,425 home battery installations under the federal battery program, 926 of them in New South Wales. Not one problem it found was caused by the battery itself; every issue traced back to non-compliant installation practices and substandard workmanship.
That finding puts the focus where it belongs. The brand on your roof matters less than the credentials of the person installing it. SAA accreditation is the qualification that decides whether your installer can legally connect a grid-tied system, and whether your rebate survives the paperwork.
Here's what it covers, how to verify it yourself, and what to ask before you sign anything.
What is an SAA Accreditation?
Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA) is the not-for-profit body appointed by the Clean Energy Regulator to run the national accreditation scheme for small-scale renewable installs. Any individual who designs or installs grid-connected photovoltaic systems, grid-connected battery systems, or stand-alone power systems must be accredited under the SAA scheme to be eligible for STCs, and many state-based incentive programs also require an accredited person. SAA currently lists more than 9,000 accredited individuals nationally.
There are three technology classes: solar PV, battery storage and off-grid. Each has three levels within: design only, install only, or design and install. An installer accredited for grid-connect PV is not automatically accredited for batteries. That distinction matters when you're adding storage to an existing system.
What an Installer Has to Prove to Hold Accreditation
Accreditation comes with essential documents, up-to-date training, and evidence to fulfil for every job. Here's what each part involves.
Documents needed to apply
Applicants must supply a photo ID and a training certificate. For installation accreditation, they also need to provide:
- Their electrical licence number and expiry date
- A Working Safely at Heights certification
- A current public liability insurance certificate of currency
The SAA application lists these requirements. The Clean Energy Regulator also requires accredited installers to hold an unrestricted electrical licence in the state or territory where the work is done.
Ongoing training requirements
Accredited individuals must complete a minimum of 100 continuing professional development (CPD) points every 12 months across a three-year accreditation period. That keeps their knowledge current as technology, standards and regulations change.
On-site attendance rules
Installers must be on site for three defined stages of the installation and provide evidence of this, usually timestamped photos whose metadata matches the installation window.
If you're quoted a job and a different, unnamed crew turns up, that's a problem before a single panel is lifted. Ask who will be on your roof, and ask for their accreditation number.
Why Accreditation is a Legal Requirement in NSW
Two separate rules apply to every solar panel installation in Newcastle.
First, the state licensing rule. Only the holder of a building or electrical contractor licence can contract to install solar panels on a residential roof or other premises, including the electrical wiring, regardless of cost or site type. It must also be completed by someone holding an electrical contractor licence or an electrical qualified supervisor certificate, or under that person's supervision.
Second, the federal accreditation rule that governs your rebate. Both have to be satisfied. An electrician without SAA accreditation can legally wire your system, but can't generate your STCs. An accredited installer without a current NSW licence can't touch the wiring.
You should also receive a Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work (CCEW). Under the Gas and Electricity (Consumer Safety) Act 2017, electricians must submit a CCEW within seven days of completing the safety and compliance test for an installation, with copies going to the customer, the distributor and NSW Fair Trading. This is the document your insurer and any future buyer will ask for.
No Accreditation, No Rebate: Across All Three Programs
Newcastle households can currently stack three incentives, and accreditation is the common condition:
- STC rebate (solar): Only SAA-accredited designers and installers are eligible to interact with the Clean Energy Regulator's Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES).
- Cheaper Home Batteries Program: Eligible households, businesses and community organisations get a discount of around 30% on batteries from 5 kWh to 100 kWh, delivered through the same STC mechanism, so the same accreditation condition applies.
- NSW VPP incentive: Under the Peak Demand Reduction Scheme, batteries must be installed by someone holding a Grid-Connected Battery Storage 'Design and Install' or 'Install only' accreditation.
If the installer's accreditation has lapsed, the certificates can't be created. The discount you were quoted is also invalid.
What an Unaccredited or Careless Install Costs You
Your rebate
STCs are claimed on your behalf using the accredited person's number. No valid number, no claim.
Your product warranty
Panel and battery manufacturers write their warranties around a compliant install to Australian Standards. An install that fails AS/NZS 5033 or AS/NZS 5139 gives them a clean reason to decline.
Your insurance position
Non-compliant electrical work on your roof is an obvious argument for an insurer when a claim lands.
Your safety and your time
Even among accredited installs, the Clean Energy Regulator's battery inspections to 30 June 2026 rated 0.76% unsafe and 62.28% substandard but safe to remain in operation. The most common causes were:
- Labelling faults
- Incorrectly configured or missing RCDs
- Insufficient mechanical and fire protection
- Inadequate overcurrent protection for inverter circuits
How to Verify an Installer's Accreditation
- Ask for the accreditation number of the person who will physically install your system.
- Check it on the Solar Accreditation Australia website using their public lookup that confirms whether an accreditation is current.
- Confirm the right class. Battery install requires Grid-Connected Battery Storage accreditation, separate from grid-connected PV.
- Check the contractor's licence on the NSW Fair Trading register. Fair Trading has cancelled licences over solar certificates signed for jobs the electrician never attended, so the licence check matters as much as the accreditation check.
- Check the products. Your panels, inverter and battery must appear on the Clean Energy Council-approved product lists to qualify for STCs.
Sine Wave Solar's installers hold current SAA accreditation, and we're happy to hand over the numbers before you commit.
If you'd rather talk it through, call 1300 871 826 for a site assessment across Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter Valley. We'll show you the numbers, the rebates and the paperwork trail before anything is signed.
Ten Questions to Ask Your Solar Supplier
- Who is the accredited installer on this job, and what's their SAA number?
- Is the person who designs my system SAA accredited, as well as the installer?
- Are they employed by you or subcontracted?
- Are they accredited for batteries as well as PV, if storage is included?
- What's your NSW electrical contractor licence number?
- Will I receive a CCEW, and when?
- Are all products on the CEC-approved lists?
- Is the quoted price after the STC discount?
- What's covered by the workmanship warranty, and for how long?
- Who do I call in three years if something stops working?
Why Property Owners Choose Sine Wave Solar
We're based in Warners Bay and every job is carried out by our own people. With us, you get:
- SAA-accredited installers
- NETCC-approved system
- 15+ years of electrical trade experience across the region
- Tier 1 panels with 25-year product warranties
- Batteries carrying 6,000–10,000 cycle warranties
- Remote monitoring on every system
- A 10-year workmanship warranty behind the install
For businesses, business solar power runs under the same accreditation rules up to 100 kW, and commercial solar finance options let you install with $0 upfront and offset repayments against the bill savings.
Talk to an expert today. We'll give you accreditation numbers, an itemised post-rebate quote and honest figures for your roof, no obligation.
Founder, SAA-accredited installer
Sam has spent over 15 years working as an electrician across Newcastle and the Hunter. He founded Sine Wave Solar to design and install solar and battery systems in-house, from site assessment through to grid connection.
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