Between 7 November and 6 December 2022, you can have your say on whether the Clean Energy Regulator (CER) should nominate any person or organisation to publish lists of approved solar products under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES).

Under the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Regulations 2001 (the Regulations), the CER must undertake public consultation on whether it should nominate any organisation to publish inverter and solar panel module product lists under the SRES.

Solar panel modules and inverters must be listed as approved eligible products that meet Australian standards. Products that do not meet Australian standards are not eligible for small-scale technology certificates under the SRES.

The Clean Energy Council (CEC) currently approves and maintains a list of approved eligible products. If the CER does not nominate an organisation, the CEC will continue to publish the lists of approved products.

The CER received submissions from:

• solar industry participants (registered agents, manufacturers or importers of solar products, installers and designers, and retailers)
• industry bodies
• owners of solar systems
• interested members of the public
• consumer advocacy groups.

The CER received 175 email submissions during the consultation. Eighty-nine per cent of respondents supported the CER using its powers to nominate a product listing body in accordance with the Regulations. Eleven per cent of respondents did not support the CER to exercise its power to nominate a product listing body.

When evaluating the future of the product listing process, the CER considered:

• the reasons for supporting or opposing the CER exercising its power to nominate a product listing body
• the percentage of supporting and opposing submissions
• the recommendations from the Integrity Review of the Rooftop Solar PV Sector.

We will design an application process to nominate a body to publish approved solar panel and inverter lists. This application round opens in May or June 2023. Subscribe to CER email updates to receive information about the application process.

Until the application process is finalised, the Clean Energy Council will continue to publish the lists of approved products.

The CER has summarised the 93 non-confidential submissions received during the consultation process. Respondents are identified by their supply chain role and whether they supported the CER to exercise its power to nominate a product listing body.