Once your registered person account application has been approved by the CER you will be provided with REC Registry login details. This will enable you to access the REC Registry and upgrade your account.

To access the application for power station accreditation you will need to apply to upgrade your account to a 'power station account' in the REC Registry.

As the creator of the registered person account, you will be the account administrator for that account.

It is possible to grant other users from your organisation access to your account and maintain each users' permission levels for your account. It is important for you to also ensure that you disable your account users where necessary, for example when staff leave your organisation or if there is a change in their role or responsibilities.

Adding new users and updating permissions

Only account administrators can add users to a REC Registry account and update users' permissions.

Account administrators should never share their username or password. Instead, the account administrator should grant access and upgrade user permissions as required. This means there can be multiple users under the one account with varying permission levels.

Learn more about being an account administrator and how to add other users to your account.

New users will not be active in the system until they have logged in, updated their password, selected a secret question and answer, and accepted the terms and conditions.

Applications for accreditation of a renewable energy power station must be submitted to the CER through the REC Registry.

We recommend you begin drafting your application 10 to 12 weeks prior to the date of first generation of electricity by your power station. You can submit your application when it meets the information and documentary requirements of a 'properly made' application under section 13 of the REE Act.

• You should regularly save drafts of your power station application in the REC Registry prior to submitting it to the CER for assessment.
• Contact us if you need help completing the application form.
• If you are applying for multiple power stations, a separate application is required for each.

To enable the CER to assess the eligibility of your power station for accreditation, the application must:

• be 'properly made' in accordance with the requirements of section 13 of the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000 (REE Act), and
• contain information that satisfies the eligibility criteria set out in section 14 of the REE Act and related regulations.

The information needed to meet these requirements is set out in the application for accreditation in the REC Registry.

For information on how to lodge an application for accreditation, view the how to lodge a power station application webinar. For information on legislated eligibility requirements, see application requirements and eligibility criteria.

How to access the power station accreditation application

Log in to the REC Registry using your login details.

Select 'Renewable energy systems' from the left-hand menu, select 'Power station applications' and then click on 'Lodge application'.

You will be guided through each of the following pages: applicant details, power station details, eligible renewable energy source details, metering details, LGC methodology, approval details, generation details, generation projections, application checklist and legal declaration.

If some sections of the online application form are not applicable, you may enter N/A (not applicable). The application requirements will vary depending on whether your power station is currently generating electricity from an eligible fuel source.

You will need to upload supporting documentation as part of your application. Refer to the accreditation checklist below for further information on what evidence is required.

Timing

Start the application process early and save drafts of your application prior to submitting.

For power stations being commissioned

If your power station is being commissioned, we recommend submitting the application 3 to 6 weeks prior to the date of first generation of electricity and when your application meets the information and documentary requirements of a 'properly made' application under section 13 of the REE Act. Some information will need to be supplied after the application has been submitted during the commissioning of your power station. Ensure all missing information is provided as soon as it becomes available.

For power stations already generating

If your power station has already started generating electricity, aim to submit your application as soon as possible. Your power station can only receive LGCs for generation after it is accredited. Your application must include all supporting information and documentation as your power station cannot be accredited until this has been received.

Withdrawing a power station application

If you have submitted an application, and your power station is delayed or you are not able to provide all supporting information and documentation, you can withdraw your application before a decision to accredit is made. Withdrawing your application will not prohibit you from submitting a new application for accreditation later.

Information and documentary requirements of a properly made application

The following checklists can be used to ensure all requirements have been met before submitting an application. These checklists are also provided in the application for accreditation form in the REC Registry.

• documentasset:Checklist for power stations already generating electricity.
• documentasset:Checklist for power stations that are in the process of commissioning and expected to commence generation within six weeks.

CER does not accept incomplete accreditation applications

Accreditation applications are made by a power station to apply to participate in the Renewable Energy Target (RET). These applications must adhere to the requirements set out in the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000 (the REE Act) and Renewable Energy (Electricity) Regulations 2001 (the REE Regulations). In accordance with section 14 of the REE Act, applications are only considered by the Clean Energy Regulator (the agency) once they have been deemed properly made.

Learn more about application requirements and the eligibility criteria for an application.

Once the agency receives an application:

• an initial assessment is performed to determine whether it is 'properly made' before commencing the assessment process, and then
• the application is found to be either complete or incomplete.

The following information outlines how applications are handled when they are complete or incomplete. Further clarification on the assigning of an accreditation start date is outlined in Step 6 - Accreditation Decision.

Applicants should be aware that the information required to constitute a properly made application as outlined in the REE Act may not be able to be submitted as complete more than a few months prior to project completion and the commencement of generation by the power station. However, this time frame may vary for different power stations and it is the responsibility of applicants to ensure they are able to provide a complete accreditation application to the agency.

Complete applications

Properly made applications include:

• all the relevant information and supporting documentation required by the agency, or
• provide reasonable justification as to why some information is missing, in which case these will be accepted and assessed for accreditation.

After an initial assessment process, a Request for Further Information (RFI) is issued via email for any unclear or outstanding elements within the application. The applicant will be given a 2-week deadline in which they must respond to each of the points outlined in the request. Some applicants may be given the opportunity to extend this deadline up to a maximum of one month from the date the RFI was initially sent based on individual circumstances.

If an applicant fails to respond to the RFI and the 6-week processing timeframe elapses:

• the agency will automatically refuse the application, and
• the application status will be updated to 'refused' in the public register of applications for accredited power stations and the application fee will not be refunded.

A decision to refuse to accredit a power station will only be set aside if the applicant submits a request to reconsider the decision under section 66 of the REE Act.

Incomplete applications

All accreditation applications are required to be properly made before the agency can determine whether the power station is eligible for accreditation, as stated in section 14(1) of the REE Act.

Applications that do not meet the requirements that are set out in section 13 of the REE Act and, therefore, are deemed to not be properly made, will not be considered by the agency.

An application will be considered not properly made if:

• it is left intentionally empty
• there is more than an acceptable amount of information omitted, and/or
• it does not meet all the requirements for an application.

Any applications that are deemed to not be properly made will not be considered by the agency.

The application status will be updated to 'withdrawn' in the public register of applications for accredited power stations and the application fee will be refunded. Applicants will be given the opportunity to submit a new application for the power station but must address the issues outlined by the agency to be re-considered for accreditation in future.

After submitting your application form, you will be prompted to pay the accreditation application fee for your power station. You must have the appropriate REC Registry user permissions to enable the payment of an invoice.

Accreditation application fees are set in Regulation 28 of the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Regulations 2001 (REE Regulations). Fees vary depending on the installed capacity of the power station and its renewable power baseline. The fee is paid via the REC Registry.

Learn more about how to pay fees in the REC Registry.

An application for accreditation is considered 'properly made' when the accreditation fee has been paid and all information and documentary requirements have been met.

Accreditation fees

Assessing the application

The CER will determine if your application meets the requirements for a 'properly made' application in accordance with section 13 of the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000 (REE Act). The assessment also determines whether the application contains information that will satisfy the eligibility criteria set out in section 14 of the REE Act and related regulations.

If further information is requested at this stage, you will be notified via email. Power stations that are in the process of being commissioned can supply outstanding documents that were not available prior to the initial application submission.

If your application is materially incomplete and is not 'properly made', the application may be refused. If you do not respond to a request for further information within a specified timeframe, your application for accreditation may be refused.

The CER must make a decision about your application for accreditation within 6 weeks from when the application was considered properly made, unless a longer period is agreed to. If an application requires a request for further information, the period from the request being sent to a response being received is not included in the 6-week period.

Extensions to the time limit for assessment

If further time is required to obtain documentation to satisfy the accreditation eligibility requirements, email the CER to request the extension of the time limit for assessment. Provide the name of the power station, the reason you require an extension, and the date you propose to extend the time limit to.

In some circumstances the CER may request a longer time frame to complete the assessment. If you do not agree, and the CER cannot make a determination within 6 weeks, then the application may be deemed to be refused as set out in section 15A of the REE Act.

Following assessment of your application, the CER will either approve or refuse your application under section 15 of the REE Act. You will be notified of the outcome by email.

Accreditation decision

Following assessment of your application, the CER will either approve or refuse your application. You will be notified of the application outcome via email and letter.

If the CER approves the application, the CER will allocate the power station a unique identification code. This decision is a reviewable decision. If your application for accreditation is refused by the CER, you may have the decision reviewed.

Accreditation start date

An accreditation start date is assigned to each successful accreditation application. This start date indicates when a power station can start submitting large-scale generation certificate (LGC) claims. This date is determined to be either the date of first generation for the power station or the date that the application was considered to be properly made, whichever is the later of the 2 dates.

The date that an application is properly made is determined by the agency's assessment of the available information and whether the application meets all the requirements of section 13 of the REE Act. If the application is not properly made, it will not be considered by the agency. The accreditation start date is only resolved once the agency has all information required for a properly made application.

It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure they submit a complete application and pay any associated fees if they aim to attain the earliest possible accreditation start date for their power station.

Please note:

• The baseline for your power station will be determined at the time the accreditation decision is made. All power stations that start generating electricity after 1 January 1997 will receive a zero baseline. If you believe your power station qualifies for a special baseline, please consult Schedule 3 of the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Regulations 2001.
• Once a power station has been accredited, LGCs can be created for electricity generated from a power station's renewable energy sources. LGCs can only be created for generation that occurs on and after the accreditation start date.
• If you have applied for accreditation after your power station started generating electricity, your eligibility to create LGCs will be from the date of accreditation.

Additional information to assist with your application

Battery Installations

Batteries may form part of a power station. Guidance is available on the Sub-metering LGC methodology for power stations with a utility-scale Battery Energy Storage System webpage. In general, electricity used in the operation of a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) is not considered an auxiliary loss, except for the portion lost in system efficiencies. This is relevant for accredited power stations that have a behind-the-meter utility scale BESS.

Operators of battery systems drawing electricity from the electricity grid should consider whether their operation attracts a liability under the RET liability scheme.

Accreditation start date scenarios

In general, the CER sets the accreditation start date as the date the application is deemed properly made or the date of first generation, whichever is later.

• If your power station is under construction, but has not yet been commissioned, aim to submit your application 6 to 10 weeks before it will start generating electricity.
• If you are not yet a registered person, we recommend you start that process an additional 6 weeks before first generation.
• If your power station has already started generating electricity, aim to submit your application as soon as possible as you can only receive certificates for generation after it is accredited.

Upgrading to a power station

LGCs cannot be created for generation from components that have already received small-scale technology certificates (STCs), and the power station application must provide sufficient information on the existing system so that the CER can identify the relevant components and be satisfied that the systems are separately metered.

Guidance on system expansions and the boundaries of systems in the SRES and LRET can be found at Defining small scale and large scale solar systems.

Off-Grid Eligibility

Power stations that do not export electricity to the grid are eligible to apply for accreditation.

Power Station Metering

Metering guidance provides information about the type of meter you can install in your power station before it is built. The CER recommends that a power stations' LGC methodology should be as simple and practical as possible to reduce administrative burden. Methods can become disorganised if they require a large number of meters or are overly complicated to calculate.

Full guidance is provided at the power station metering guidance page, but in general:

• Power stations measuring electricity flows of greater than 750 MWh per annum use revenue-grade, pattern approved metering at sub-metering points. These have the capability required to accurately measure the volumes of electricity production associated with these power stations.
• Power stations measuring electricity flows lower than 750 MWh per annum this should ensure the metering arrangement meets the accuracy requirements as specified in Schedule 7.4 of Chapter 7 of the National Electricity Rules. In addition, the meter should be installed in a position that it will measure both imported and exported electricity from the power station components.
• Power stations in the National Electricity Market (NEM) must use NEM standard metering for their connection point meter. These meters support the measurement of outgoing electricity.
• Power stations outside the NEM must use metering electricity generated by the power station, meet relevant jurisdictional standards, and be located at the point determined by the relevant authority in that state or territory.