How many solar products are currently approved by the Clean Energy Council (CEC) for installation in Australia? The answer might surprise you. Here’s how to navigate the dizzying array of options.
The CEC has long maintained lists of approved solar products. This is an important task, especially as only solar panels and inverters listed at the time of installation are eligible for the Australian Solar Rebate and some government incentives. In addition to modules and inverters, the organization also maintains a list of approved energy storage devices – and the CEC check mark was required for some government battery programs.
According to a report from the organization released this week, there are currently 7,250 approved rooftop solar panels, inverters and storage products on the list, a 12 percent increase compared to the previous semi-annual report. The breakdown:
- 1,620 inverter models from 108 manufacturers.
- 5,075 solar panel models from 115 manufacturers.
- 555 battery models from 86 manufacturers.
However, the list of approved solar panels will be shortened very soon, with a number of entries expiring early next week. Additionally, some of the active listings of all components are no longer sold here. But there are more and more products available and many manufacturers are keen to maintain or capture a larger share of the Australian market share.
In the first half of 2024, the CEC said it received 245 applications for product listings and 174 applications were approved. This workload led to a longer time frame for applications during the reporting period, so that the processing time is currently four to six weeks.
“To meet growing demand, the product team has expanded from four to nine specialists over the last six months, resulting in 28 additional applications being approved in June 2024 compared to May 2024,” explains the CEC.
The organization says it will continue to evaluate resourcing for its program.
Solar buyers are spoiled for choice, what to do?
Choice is a wonderful thing – but too many choices can make a purchasing decision more difficult. The CEC-approved product lists actually only tell you which inverters and modules can be installed in Australia (and which batteries have received the CEC’s blessing), not whether a particular product is the best choice for a buyer’s circumstances.
What can a consumer with limited knowledge (and time) do when comparing quotes on systems when quality and price vary so much that there are so many suitable products? SolarQuotes has a number of tools to help you make your purchasing decision. including:
And of course there is the extremely popular Solar 101 Guide from SolarQuotes founder Finn.
Will the CEC remain the gatekeeper for solar products?
In 2020, then Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor ordered a review of Australia’s Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) by the Clean Energy Regulator (CER). Topics to be examined included the approval process and managing ongoing compliance of panels and solar inverters. A few years later, the Clean Energy Regulator held a public consultation on whether it should appoint an organization to publish product lists for inverters and solar panels under the SRES.
Not everyone wants the CEC to retain gatekeeper status – some were unhappy with the extended deadlines for reviewing applications and the associated costs.
Long story short, the CER eventually nominated the CEC to continue in this role, with some changes in how it would operate. But this nomination is not yet a done deal. A further consultation on the decision has been launched; Submissions closed last month.
The CER says its final decision will be released later this month – so that could be any day.
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