Is my solar installer accredited? How to check in two minutes
Anyone can call themselves a solar installer. Not everyone is accredited to certify the work — and the difference usually shows up years later, on your roof, in weather nobody thought about.
Most people never check. It feels awkward, and the quote already has logos on it. But this is a two-minute check that decides whether your system is legal, insurable, and eligible for the federal rebate — so it's worth the small awkwardness.
The two things to check (they're not the same)
Solar work in Australia sits on two separate credentials, and installers sometimes have one without the other.
| Credential | What it is | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical licence | Issued by your state. Permits electrical work. | The legal right to do the wiring at all. In NSW it's the certifying licensee who signs the Certificate of Compliance Electrical Work (CCEW). |
| Solar accreditation | Solar-specific, issued nationally. Requires the electrical licence underneath it. | What the federal rebate scheme requires for your STCs to be claimable. It also has scopes — grid-connected PV is separate from battery. |
The battery catch
Accreditation is scoped. An installer accredited for grid-connected solar is not automatically accredited to install a battery — that's a separate endorsement. If you're adding storage, ask specifically whether their accreditation covers battery, not just solar.
How to actually check
- Ask for the number, not the logo. Request the installer's accreditation number and the name it's held in. A company logo on a quote is not a credential.
- Check the accreditation register. Search the number on the Solar Accreditation Australia public register. Confirm it's current and matches the person's name.
- Check the electrical licence. Search your state's licensing register (in NSW, NSW Fair Trading). Confirm it's current and unrestricted for the work.
- Ask who will be on the roof. The person quoting you is often a salesperson. Ask for the name of the accredited installer who will physically attend and sign off.
Why it matters more than it sounds
- ✓ Your rebate depends on it. STCs are claimed against an accredited install. If the accreditation doesn't stand up, the claim is the problem — and it can land back on you.
- ✓ Your insurance may depend on it. Unlicensed electrical work on a home is exactly the kind of detail an insurer looks for after a fire.
- ✓ The defects are invisible. Roof penetrations get covered by panels the same day. Nobody sees a badly flashed penetration until it rains sideways.
- ✓ Accountability. An accredited installer has something to lose. That is, bluntly, the mechanism that makes them careful.
Questions worth asking before you sign
- What is your accreditation number, and whose name is it in?
- Will that person be on site for the install?
- Does your accreditation cover battery, if I add one?
- Who lodges the CCEW, and will I get a copy?
- What photographic evidence of the install will I receive?
That last one separates the careful operators from the rest. A good installer already photographs their work. If the answer is vague, it's usually because nobody is checking.
We check, so you don't have to
Solarsearch only works with vetted, accredited installers — and every install is photographed against a fixed protocol and sealed into a compliance record. You compare real quotes on the same design and choose your own. No cold calls.
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