Choosing your solar panels

If you are looking to purchase solar panels it’s important to do your research and to shop around to find a system that suits your needs and budget.  

• Shop around: solar panel retailers and installers offer different prices and the quality of systems may vary.
• Ask solar panel retailers and installers to provide advice on the solar panel system that is appropriate for your electricity needs.
• Contact your State Government about the current feed-in tariff in your state. A feed-in tariff pays you for electricity generated by your solar PV system.
• Ask your electricity company how you should apply for a feed-in tariff and how your feed-in tariff agreement will affect your electricity bill.

The Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator does not provide advice on panel choice or feed-in tariffs.

The Clean Energy Council has a consumer guide to buying household solar panels which covers sizing, feed-in tariffs, inverters, meters and other essential information to assist with your research.

Visit - Clean Energy Council Consumer Guide

Other resources:

• Living Greener
• Your Home 

Under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme, retailers and installers of solar panel systems can apply to ORER to become Registered Agents of STCs. 

The Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator has a list of Registered Agents who have chosen to display their details. Note that the Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator does not endorse these Agents, and this list is not the complete listing of all Agents in the scheme, but it may be a good place to start finding someone who can manage your installation.

Visit – List of Registered Agents

Under the scheme, all solar panels must be installed by Clean Energy Council Accredited Installers. To check that your installer is accredited visit The Clean Energy Council website.

Make sure you ask your solar panel Agent whether your solar panel system is eligible to receive STCs. A new solar panel system is eligible if:

• The system is installed correctly by a Clean Energy Council installer.
• All the components of the installed system are new.
• The components are listed in the Clean Energy Council list of accredited components.
• The system and installation complies with Australian and New Zealand standards.
• The system complies with all local, State and Federal requirements for the type of installation.
• The solar panel system has a capacity of no more than 100 kW and has a total annual electricity output less than 250 Mwh. If your system is larger it will be classified as a power station and will need to be accredited as a power station in order to be eligible for LGCs. Visit Renewable Energy Power Stations.
• The STCs are created within 12 months of the installation date. If you choose to go through an Agent they will create the STCs on your behalf.

You must be the owner of the system at the time it is installed to be entitled to assign or create STCs. In some circumstances, where the solar panels are installed in new buildings, the owner can be the builder or property developer. 

Agents registered with ORER will offer you a financial benefit for your STCs, such as a discount off the invoice, in exchange for the right to create and sell the certificates.

You can ask your registered Agent about the number of STCs your system is eligible for, and the price they are offering you per STC. The financial benefit is usually based on the STC price at the time of the offer. The price of STCs fluctuates depending on supply or demand. 

The Clean Energy Council has a spot price for STCs on their front page; however, different STC traders may offer different prices, much like currency can be bought for different prices depending on who's buying.  Conduct a web search for 'STC price' or 'REC price' to find other traders and prices.

You can also determine the number of certificates your solar panel system is eligible by using the SGU Calculator.

To get an idea of the approximate discount you could receive visit the Financial Incentives for Solar Panels page.

ORER does not set the STC price used by Agents, nor does it get involved in disputes between owners and Agents. Payment for STCs or the rights to create STCs is a contractual matter between you and your Agent.

At this point you may asked to sign a contract that defines the price and payment requirements related to the system. Ensure this is not an STC Assignment Form. You can only assign your STCs to your Agent when the system has been fully installed and is capable of generating electricity.

Although a majority of owners choose to go through a retailer/agent some choose to create the STCs themselves. This process is complicated and includes:

• determining the eligibility of the solar panels
• calculating the STCs
• completing the appropriate compliance paperwork 
• creating an account in the REC Registry
• verifying your identity
• creating STCs in the REC Registry
• waiting to have the STCs validated 
• finding a buyer or placing the STCs in the STC Clearing House queue. 

ORER cannot provide an estimate of how long it will take for STCs to sell in the Clearing House. STCs will only sell when a buyer is available and owners should plan their system purchase with this in mind.

Visit:

• Creating STCs
• Selling STCs