Featured image: North Queensland Cowboys National Rugby League (NRL) player, Griffin Neame, is among the thousands of Australians who’ve recently had a battery system installed by an SAA accredited installer. Pictured with installer Kurtis Ritchie.
New PV labelling course released
The Clean Energy Regulator (CER) and Solar Accreditation Australia have released another free labelling course, this time to support compliant labelling of grid-connected photovoltaic (GCPV) installations.
The training addresses:
Key PV labelling requirements and how they apply to real installations
Compliant and non-compliant PV labelling
Best-practice labelling to meet all relevant standards and avoid common non-compliances.
COM005: SAA Solar PV Labelling Module will earn 20 continuing professional development (CPD) Points.
Labelling non-compliances are among the most common issues observed for solar PV systems under the CER’s inspections program for the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES).
Accredited professionals can locate the course by logging into CPD Hub, and searching COM005 in 'Store' or in the 'Learning Dashboard'
A new batch of information sheets on PV Labelling have also been added to the Resources and Guides section of the SAA website.
The resources include an information sheet outlining the 10 most common PV labelling non-compliances identified through the CER’s inspection program. There’s also a detailed information sheet addressing each of the most common labelling non-compliances and how to address or rectify the issues.
You can locate Resources and Guides on the dropdown menu under Accreditation on the SAA website, or via the button below.
We're responsible for administering the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES). This includes reviewing small-scale technology certificates (STC) applications and supporting compliance with scheme requirements.
AS/NZ 5139:2019 sets out the requirements for Mechanical and Fire Protection of Battery Energy Systems.
Battery systems are required to be installed in locations that reduce the risk of fire spreading to areas where people live. This is mainly about where the battery is installed and what it is installed next to. If the location or nearby materials are wrong, the installation is non‑compliant, even if the battery itself is approved.
Key requirements under Australian Standards
Do not install batteries in habitable rooms. This includes bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, studies and any room used for normal day‑to‑day living.
Treat rooms that could become living areas as habitable, even if they are currently used for storage.
Maintain the required clearances from doors, windows, exits and ventilation openings.
Do not install batteries directly against combustible materials (such as timber walls) unless the standard allows it and compliant fire‑resistant protection is installed.
Check the wall, floor and surrounding construction, not just the battery location. Compliance depends on what the battery is next to, not just where it sits.
Mechanical Protection
Mechanical protection is about making sure the battery cannot be damaged during normal use of the space. If a battery can be hit, knocked, or driven into, it is not adequately protected. The standard expects installers to think about real world use, not ideal conditions.
Key requirements under Australian Standards
Fix the battery securely so it cannot tip, fall or move.
Protect batteries installed in garages or similar areas from vehicle impact using barriers, bollards, or equivalent protection.
Position batteries where they are unlikely to be bumped, hit or damaged by people, equipment or stored items.
Assess the space properly – if the area is used for parking, storage or movement, protection is required even if nothing is currently in the way.
Do not rely on the battery casing alone to provide mechanical protection unless the standard clearly allows it.
RESINC Solar and Batteries’ Head of Growth Chris Wilson with CEO Leigh Storr at their Brisbane office.
The Clean Energy Regulator (CER) is urging retailers and installers to be prepared and transparent ahead of changes to incentives under the Cheaper Home Batteries Program.
From 1 May, small-scale technology certificates (STCs) will be tiered based on battery size, impacting the rebate available for systems over 14 kWh.
Chief Executive Officer of RESINC Solar and Batteries, Leigh Storr, says he understands the regulator’s concern given the potential that businesses may commit to install systems before 1 May, then fail to meet the deadline, leaving customers out of pocket and team members fatigued under tight deadlines.
In an online article, SAA explores how the respected retail business is preparing for the changes and why Leigh is confident demand for solar and battery systems will remain strong as consumer incentives reduce over time.
The 2 systems per day installation limit remains in effect and there will be no relaxation or special consideration available for installations that occur in the lead up to 1 May.
SAA Technical Requirements state that “where an Accredited Installer is physically undertaking all stages of an installation or supervising an installation by others, they shall not sign off on more than two installations per day”.
This limit applies to both solar and battery systems. Accreditees who install both system types may structure their installations within the prescribed limits as follows:
2 solar systems, or
2 battery systems or,
1 solar system and 1 battery system.
For absolute clarity – a battery and solar installation at the same property, are two systems, even when they share a common inverter.
The day of sign off is the small-scale technology certificate (STC) claim date, regardless of when the balance of the system was installed.
In December, SAA introduced a limited-time special consideration for relief process for systems signed off between 1 July and 22 December 2025.
Special consideration for relief
Installers and retailers are reminded that the Special Consideration for relief process that was announced in December applies only for installations that occurred between 1 July and 22 December 2025, and under very specific circumstances.
Applications that are not within the required dates and do not meet the criteria will be declined.
More than 4,000 accredited designers and installers will reach their CPD due dates between April and June and it’s great to see the number of accreditees getting on the front foot to meet their CPD requirements ahead of time.
Individuals holding GCBS and SPS accreditation have until 30 June to complete two mandatory training modules. Failure to complete the courses by the due date will result in accreditation being suspended.
There’ve been more than 1,200 completions of the battery modules since last month’s newsletter, with roughly 600 people completing COM001: Parallel Earth & Neutral Connections this month and a further 600 completions for COM002: Fire Barrier Requirements & Habitable Rooms.
All accreditees are also required to complete 100 CPD points by their CPD Due Date.
There are a range of free and paid courses available, including the following courses, which each attract 20 CPD Points:
COM003: How to conduct a Battery Risk Assessment
COM004: SAA Battery Labelling Module
COM005: SAA Solar PV Labelling Module
Check out the full list of course options on the CPD Courses page of the SAA website.
You can also check your CPD progress by logging into your SAA account in the Accreditation Portal.
SAA has released a new Privacy Policy detailing the type of information it collects, holds and how information is used.
Whenever it is lawful and practicable, SAA may allow you the option of not identifying yourself when dealing with us. For example, general access to our website does not, and general telephone queries do not require you to disclose personal information about yourself.
However, there are certain interactions where we may need to collect personal information from you for a specific purpose.
SAA will ordinarily only collect personal information directly from you and where it is reasonably required for our function and activities. We are authorised or required by relevant regulators to collect certain information in the course of our activities for the SRES and our role as Accreditation Scheme Operator.
When collecting personal information, we will tell you why we are collecting the information, what we plan to do with it and identify any third parties to whom we might disclose your personal information where it is required via a collections notice.
From time to time, we may receive personal information about you from third parties such as the Clean Energy Regulator, Clean Energy Council, STC Agents, network service providers, electrical regulators for each State and Territory, finance companies for green loans, and Services Australia. We receive this personal information for purposes that assist us with our operation of the accreditation scheme and updating you on your accreditation status and requirements.
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