Solar Accreditation Australia replaced the Clean Energy Council for installer accreditation in 2024, and it decides whether your system qualifies for the rebate. What changed, what to look for instead of "CEC accredited", and the thirty-second check that protects your STC discount.
If you are comparing solar quotes in 2026, you will still see "CEC accredited installer" on plenty of them. That wording is now out of date, and the difference is not cosmetic: it decides whether your system qualifies for the rebate. This guide explains what changed, what to look for instead, and why the correct line protects both your install and your discount.
For years the Clean Energy Council accredited the people who install solar. In 2024 that role moved to Solar Accreditation Australia, a dedicated independent body, and SAA accreditation is now what the federal small-scale scheme recognises. The CEC still exists and still maintains its approved-product lists, so "CEC approved panels" is fine, but for the person designing and certifying your system the current credential is SAA. A quote that only says "CEC accredited installer" is either out of date or not paying attention, and on a purchase this size that is worth noticing.
Two credentials matter, and they do different jobs. SAA accreditation sits with the installer and protects the quality and compliance of the work. The New Energy Tech Consumer Code, or NETCC, is the consumer-protection code a retailer signs, and it covers how you are sold to and supported. A good provider holds both, so the install is sound and you are protected as a buyer.
We lead with SAA accredited and NETCC signatory because they are the current, correct credentials. If a quote still sells you on "CEC accredited installers", their information is out of date.
Do not take the badge on the website at face value. Ask for the installer\'s SAA accreditation number and the name of the accredited person who will actually be on site, then confirm it. The reason this matters beyond box-ticking is the rebate: the STC discount can only be created against accredited work, so a cheaper non-accredited install can cost you the entire discount and leave you worse off. For how that discount appears on the quote, read solar rebates and STCs explained.
The short version: look for SAA, not CEC, on the installer, and NETCC on the retailer. It is a thirty-second check that protects your rebate and tells you whether the company quoting you is current on the rules that govern their own trade.