The SRES incentive works by awarding one small-scale technology certificate (STC) per one megawatt hour of renewable electricity generated by the system. An STC acts as a form of currency and can be sold on the STC open market at a negotiated price, or through the STC clearing house within the
REC Registry. View the CER's
STC calculator, or visit
Buying and selling STCs for more information.
To make things simple, most consumers choose an upfront discount on their system, rather than claiming and selling STCs themselves. This process is simple and will generally form part of your contract when you purchase your solar system. It usually involves signing your right to create and sell the STCs to an agent in return for an upfront discount on your system.
In this scenario, you do not
claim and trade the STCs, and instead the registered agent does. This is a simpler and faster process than creating and trading certificates yourself. However, consumers can opt to claim and trade STCs independently after the system has been installed if they wish.
If the system has not been installed yet, you may wish to ask the retailer if they are planning to include an option for you to assign the rights to claim STCs over to them in return for an upfront discount.
The financial benefit supplied to you by a registered agent can vary from day-to-day. This is because STCs are an electronic commodity and can be traded in the
open STC market, where the price varies depending on supply and demand. If you are assigning STCs onto an agent (in return for an upfront discount), it is important to ask how much they will pay for the STCs and compare this to other agents and the current market prices.
Please note that the CER does not set the certificate price used by agents, nor does it get involved in disputes between owners and agents. Payment for certificates, or the right to create certificates, is a contractual matter between you and your agent.
If your system has already been installed, we encourage you to check the installation paperwork to see if there is any reference to 'STC assignment' or 'certificates'. If you have installed an
eligible system within the past 12 months and have not assigned your STCs to a registered agent or claimed the certificates yourself, you may still be eligible to claim and trade STCs. All STCs must be created within 12 months of the system being installed.
More information
What are small-scale technology certificates?
How do I claim small-scale technology certificates?
What is the benefit of using a registered agent?