Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme

Suggested Reading

14 March 2023

RET

Help us to redesign the Clean Energy Regulator website

We are getting ready to redesign our website. We would like to understand how to make the website easier for you to use, particularly when accessing information about our schemes.

If you want to provide feedback or are interested in participating in user research, please complete this short survey.

From 1 April 2022 a range of new legal requirements commenced that directly affect solar businesses whose work relates to claims for small-scale technology certificates.

See our videos for installers and designers,  agents,  manufacturers and solar retailers about the changes and to support your compliance with the new obligations. We have also created a video which provides a general overview of all the changes.

See our new forms and guides to assist solar businesses with the new requirements.

We also encourage all Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme businesses to sign up to the Renewable Energy Target category of our email subscription service to make sure you receive information about these and other important changes which will affect solar businesses during 2022 and 2023.

The Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme creates a financial incentive for individuals and small businesses to install eligible small-scale renewable energy systems such as solar panel systems, small-scale wind systems, small-scale hydro systems, solar water heaters and air source heat pumps. It does this through the creation of small-scale technology certificates which Renewable Energy Target liable entities have a legal obligation to buy and surrender to the Clean Energy Regulator on a quarterly basis.

Small-scale technology certificates are provided 'up front' for the systems' expected power generation over a 15 year period or, from 2017, from the installation year until 2030 when the scheme ends. This renewable electricity replaces electricity generated from non-renewable sources. Generally, householders who purchase these systems assign the right to create their certificates to an agent in return for a lower purchase price. The level of this benefit differs across the country depending on the level of solar energy.

Small-scale technology certificates can be created following the installation of an eligible system, and are calculated based on the amount of electricity a system produces or replaces (that is, electricity from non-renewable sources).

The number of small-scale technology certificates required to be submitted by electricity retailers is set each year by the small-scale technology percentage.

System eligibility

Under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme, eligible small-scale renewable energy systems may be entitled to small-scale technology certificates, which can be sold to recoup a portion of the cost of purchasing and installing the system.

Small-scale renewable systems which may be eligible for certificates include: