The Clean Energy Council is the peak body for the clean energy industry in Australia.
We are a not-for-profit organisation committed to accelerating the transformation of Australia’s energy system to one that is smarter and cleaner.
We have a strong focus on raising standards and maintaining integrity within the industry so consumers can buy with confidence and proudly contribute to Australia’s clean energy revolution.
We do this through the development of guidelines and contribution to Australian Standards as well as three key regulatory programs aimed at lifting the bar across the industry:
The Approved Solar Retailer (ASR) program is a way for businesses that sell solar and storage to show their commitment to responsible sales and marketing activities and industry best practice. Authorised by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the program aims to lift the bar higher than the minimum requirements set by government and regulations and bring about a better standard of service within the solar and storage industry.
The ASR program is voluntary and administered through an application process to ensure solar retailer businesses meet the requirements of the Solar Retailer Code of Conduct and have the systems and procedures in place for ongoing compliance.
If successful, the solar retailer becomes a signatory to the Solar Retailer Code of Conduct and must comply with consumer protection laws, back the operation of their systems well into the future and always deal appropriately with consumers.
The Clean Energy Council actively monitors compliance of retailers to the Code of Conduct and investigates all reported breaches of the Code. Serious non-compliance which is detrimental to consumers may give cause to remove a retailer from the program with immediate effect.
Approved Solar Retailers are required to have an appropriate internal complaint handling process that is fair, efficient and transparent.
The Product Assurance program verifies and tests solar and storage products that are eligible to be installed in Australia, based on their compliance with Australian and International Standards.
The objective of this testing is to confirm the safety and compliance of the devices with the relevant product standards, the certification for that device and the Clean Energy Council’s Terms and Conditions for listing products.
If the Clean Energy Council's testing identifies non-conformance with the device’s certification, we may suspend or remove the listing until compliance can be verified. We may also suspend or remove all device model numbers listed for that manufacturer.
The CEC works in collaboration with government, electrical safety regulators, certifiers, network providers and product manufacturers to ensure that only approved products are installed in the Australian market. Only systems with products from the approved lists are eligible to receive small-scale technology certificates (STCs) under the Small-Scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES).
The Installer Accreditation program recognises electricians who have undertaken the necessary training to design and install solar, batteries and other renewable energy systems. CEC Accredited electricians aim to work to industry best practice standards, producing systems that are safe, reliable and meet customer expectations.
Clean Energy Council accredited installers must adhere to the relevant Australian Standards when designing and installing systems. The Clean Energy Council also produce practical installation guidelines to support installers.
As part of CEC accreditation, continuous professional development must be completed each year to ensure technical knowledge stays up to date.
Compliance plays a critical role in maintaining the value of CEC Accreditation. When the CEC is made aware of a solar design or installation that does not meet relevant Australian Standards, CEC Guidelines or other regulations, we can take appropriate action to ensure standards are upheld. This can vary from requests to rectify non-compliant work, the allocation of demerit points, suspension or even cancellation.
To lodge a complaint against an Approved Solar Retailer or a CEC accredited installer, please read the guidelines at the link below. Please note that evidence may be required to support an installation complaint.
