Small and Mid-Scale Solar PV Certificates

Eligible solar PV installations can create Small-scale Technology Certificates under Australia's Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme. Northmore Gordon supports installers and system owners with pathway assessment, evidence, registration and certificate processing.

System size, installation date, equipment, installer, deeming rules and application arrangements determine eligibility. Old rebate examples should not be used as a current price or entitlement.

How the SRES pathway works

STCs are created from eligible deemed renewable generation rather than from a generic cash rebate. The number depends on system capacity, installation location, installation date and the applicable deeming period. The certificates are assigned or sold under agreed commercial terms, so certificate quantity, market price, fees and customer contribution should be shown separately.

The 2026 solar PV expansion

The Clean Energy Regulator states that eligible mid-scale systems above 100 kW and up to 1 MW installed from 1 October 2026 can use the expanded small-scale pathway, with a fixed five-year deeming period. The regulator also states that applications are expected to open in mid to late November 2026. Projects near the transition should follow the current CER mid-scale solar guidance and retain precise installation and commissioning evidence.

Systems above 1 MW generally require assessment under the large-scale Renewable Energy Target. Victorian projects may also have a VEU project pathway. Compare complete requirements and attribute consequences rather than selecting from headline certificate values.

Confirm requirements before installation

Solar Panel Validation and product checks can support evidence quality, but they do not replace the full eligibility assessment.

Build the project case from energy first

Model generation, self-consumption, export, tariff and future load using representative site data. Include capital, network and structural costs, maintenance, degradation, downtime and inverter replacement. Show STC proceeds as a separate conditional line until eligibility, quantity and commercial terms are confirmed.

Where other upgrades change site load, document their chronology so the solar contribution is not confused with unrelated consumption changes. A commercial solar feasibility study can integrate the technical, tariff, certificate and approval questions.

Information for an STC assessment

Provide the address, system capacity, existing solar or batteries, equipment list, installer, design, quotation, target installation date, network status, electricity data and any prior rebate or certificate arrangements.

See mid-scale solar pathways, certificate guidance, battery certificates and government schemes.

Contact Northmore Gordon before installation so the applicable rule and evidence schedule can be confirmed.

What solar PV capacity can use the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme?

Eligible systems up to 100 kW continue to use the established SRES pathway. The Clean Energy Regulator states that eligible mid-scale systems above 100 kW and up to 1 MW installed from 1 October 2026 can use the expanded pathway, subject to the detailed transition, equipment, installer and application requirements.

When can applications for the new mid-scale STC pathway be lodged?

The Clean Energy Regulator states that applications for the expanded mid-scale solar pathway are expected to open in mid to late November 2026. A system installed from 1 October 2026 should preserve the required evidence and follow the regulator's transitional guidance rather than treating the installation date alone as a completed application.

How are STCs for mid-scale systems above 100 kW treated?

The regulator describes a fixed five-year deeming period for eligible mid-scale systems above 100 kW and up to 1 MW. The certificate calculation also depends on capacity, location, installation date and current scheme rules. Quantity, market price, fees and customer contribution should be shown separately.

What pathway applies to solar systems above 1 MW?

Systems above 1 MW generally require assessment under the large-scale Renewable Energy Target and may create LGCs if accredited and compliant. Other state project pathways may also be relevant, but they have separate rules and should not be combined without checking eligibility and attribute ownership.

What equipment and installer evidence is required for STCs?

Use the current approved-product and installer requirements that apply on the installation date. Retain system design, module and inverter details, serial numbers, photographs, invoices, electrical and network records, installer declarations and commissioning evidence. Mid-scale systems may have additional transition and application requirements.

Should an investment case rely on the advertised STC rebate?

No. Build the case from generation, self-consumption, export, tariffs, capital and operating costs first. Add STCs as a separate conditional line after eligibility, quantity, price, fees and assignment terms are documented, and show a case without unconfirmed proceeds.

Does adding a battery change the solar certificate assessment?

It can. Solar STCs and battery incentives follow different activities and calculations. System configuration, capacity, installation timing, existing solar, equipment and any overlapping certificate or funding arrangements should be checked before contracts are signed.

How are extensions to an existing solar system assessed?

Document the existing array, inverter and prior certificates separately from the proposed extension. Capacity, electrical configuration, installation dates and previous claims can affect eligibility and the calculation. An expansion should not be treated automatically as a new standalone system.

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