October 2024

Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA) monthly newsletter brings you the latest updates on the accreditation, compliance process and available training courses.  

All Energy Conference

We enjoyed seeing and talking to many of you at the conference. Thanks to everyone who stopped by our stand to talk to us about getting accredited.

Accreditation

We put together some of the most recent questions installers and designers have been asking us about the accreditation process. If you’d like to know more visit our website Answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs).  

Q: How can I sign off on more than 2 installations per day?  

A: An approved exemption from us is required to sign off on the STC claims for more than 2 installations in a single day. Please see Clauses 3.4 & 3.5 of the SAA Requirements for the full requirement and email us at info@saaustralia.com.au for the exemption form.  

Q: How do I renew my accreditation with SAA?  

A: Login into the SAA Portal on www.saaustralia.com.au and press ‘Renew’ button. To renew you need to have 100 CPD points and a photo ID, a selfie and a copy of your training certificate. 

Q: I've completed a Battery Course, how do I add the accreditation to my account? 

A: You need to login into the SAA Portal, go to “Purchase Accreditation Add-ons” on the home screen and follow the prompts. You need to provide Statement of Attainment, more information is on our website. 

Q: Do I need to complete a case study to become accredited for Grid Connect Battery Storage (GCBS) with SAA?  

A: Yes, once you have applied for, and been granted a provisional accreditation for GCBS by us, you will be required to submit a case study to transition to full accreditation. 

Q: What happens if I let my accreditation expire (either to take time away from industry or slow to renew)? 

A: If your accreditation expired less than 12 months ago, simply renew your accreditation in the SAA Portal on our website. If your accreditation expired 12 months ago or longer, you need to come back to SAA through the Accreditation Pathway. 

Q: I need to update my contact details, how do I do that?  

A: Please send your updated details to info@saaustralia.com.au and we will make changes in our system. 

Compliance

SAA works closely with the Clean Energy Regulator (CER) on ensuring solar installation compliance. From November onwards our Compliance Team will begin to receive compliance referrals from the current Tranche 40 inspections being conducted under the SRES Inspections program.  

If a system you designed and/or installed is inspected, and non-compliances are identified, there are some steps you can take to resolve the matter and minimise disruption to your other work.  

• We recommend speaking with the system owner as soon as possible to arrange a time to rectify any non-compliance.  

• When rectifying the non-compliances take before and after photos to clearly demonstrate the rectification work.  

• Keep the photos on file against the job and if SAA Compliance Team or any other regulatory body requests proof that you have rectified the installation, you already have the required evidence. 

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Q: Can I carry my CPD points over to next year? 

A: CPD points only last for 12 months from the time of you received SAA accreditation. This date can be found on your SAA Portal or on your accreditation certificate. The CPD points need to be renewed every 12 months for three years to maintain SAA accreditation by completing training courses. 

New CPD program offers

Here are training courses released in September, and more course information can be found on the www.saaustralia.com.au   

Interested in learning Soft Skills? 

For medium to large scale solar designs and installations, successfully managing this scale project is handy skill to have. Project Management skills help with delivering the project on time and on budget!  

The new 'Project Management' CPD course provided by New Energy Training (20 CPD points) gives you the simple '5 step' planning techniques to help avoid making costly mistakes. Check out more information here.

SAA Logo to use

We are excited to announce that the SAA logo is now available on our website. You can download the file and follow the Terms of Use when using the logo. 

PV Recycling Project

The Smart Energy Council’s partnership with the Queensland Government delivers a simple and convenient panel recycling program with an incentive payment of $5 per residential panel.

The pilot is running across various locations, including Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast and regional Queensland, with plans for further expansion.

Participation is simple – installers simply book a drop off and then get rewarded, all while helping the environment and creating a discriminator with customers. Information about the program as well as details on how to book at drop off is available on PV Solar Stewardship Pilot - Smart Energy Council

Smart Installer Roadshow

Remember to register for your local Smart Installer Roadshow here :

• Brisbane: 4th November
• Sydney: 6th November
• Adelaide: 12th November
• Melbourne: 14th November

The SAA team will be at the Brisbane and Melbourne venues, make sure to stop by our stand and talk to us about getting accredited!

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