How do you check a solar installer in Victoria?
Five registers, five minutes. Check the installer on the SAA register, the retailer on the Solar Victoria authorised list, the code they're bound by at NETCC, the electrician on the Energy Safe Victoria register, and every product on the Clean Energy Council lists. Anyone legitimate will hand over the numbers without a fuss. Checked against each register on 23 September 2026.
What to check, where, and what it proves.
Each register is run by the body that regulates that part of the job. Ask the retailer for the numbers in the third column and look them up yourself. A retailer that can't or won't give you them is the clearest red flag there is.
| What you're checking | Register | Ask the retailer for | What it proves |
|---|---|---|---|
| The person on your roof is accredited | Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA) status check | The installer's SAA accreditation number and name | They hold current accreditation for grid-connected solar, battery storage or stand-alone systems, as design, install, or both. SAA has run this register since the Clean Energy Regulator appointed it on 29 February 2024. |
| The business can offer the Solar Homes rebate | Solar Victoria authorised retailer search | The retailer's trading name and ABN | They're on the list for solar PV or hot water, are audited by Solar Victoria, and can be suspended or removed for breaching the program terms. |
| The seller is bound by a consumer code | NETCC approved seller search | Their New Energy Tech Consumer Code approved seller status | Every Solar Victoria solar and battery retailer must be a NETCC signatory. The code covers sales practice, fair detailed quotes, refund terms and after-sale service. |
| The electrician is licensed | Energy Safe Victoria public register | The electrician's licence number and the business's Registered Electrical Contractor (REC) number | A current Class A electrical licence, which Solar Victoria requires for its installers, and a registered contractor who must arrange the licensed inspection and issue your Certificate of Electrical Safety. |
| The panels, inverter and battery are approved | Clean Energy Council approved products lists | The exact make and model of each product on the quote | The product is on the list the federal Cheaper Home Batteries discount and Solar Victoria both require. As at 1 September 2026 the lists held 3,856 panel models, 3,982 inverters and 3,521 batteries. |
Sources: saaustralia.com.au, solar.vic.gov.au (retailer list updated 18 September 2026; industry requirements 15 August 2025), newenergytech.org.au, energysafe.vic.gov.au, cleanenergycouncil.org.au (product counts as at 1 September 2026).
Three more registers if the job isn't solar.
- Victorian Energy Upgrades discounts(split systems, ducted replacements, heat pumps): the business must be an Accredited Provider on the Essential Services Commission's public registry. You can filter it by residential, upgrade type and region. The commission lists providers but makes no claim about their quality, so run the other checks too.
- Anyone installing a split system handles refrigerant and must hold an ARCtick refrigerant handling licence. Check it at lookforthetick.com.au.
- Heat pump hot waterconnects to your water supply, so the installer needs a plumbing licence. Check it on the Building and Plumbing Commission's find and check a practitioner tool, which also shows past disciplinary action. For the Solar Victoria hot water rebate, the retailer must be on the hot water side of the authorised retailer list.
What Solar Victoria makes its retailers give you.
These are program rules, not favours. If a quote or contract is missing one, ask why.
- 10 full business days to change your mind, in any circumstances, with no penalty. It starts the business day after you sign.
- A minimum five-year whole-of-system warranty on top of the product warranties.
- A financial performance estimate for the system before you commit.
- Product warranty terms for each component, with who to contact if it fails.
- Written confirmation after install that the system is complete, functional and installed as designed.
- A Certificate of Electrical Safety from the registered electrical contractor, who also arranges the licensed inspection.
- No door-to-door or cold-call sales. Both are banned for the program. Report either to enquiries@team.solar.vic.gov.au.
Solar Victoria's own advice, updated 17 July 2026: get at least three quotes, ask for warranty details and who to contact, look for reviews that show a history of real customers, and treat an unusually low price or any sense of urgency as a warning. Their checklist is at solar.vic.gov.au/choose-a-good-retailer.
Who to complain to, in order.
| Step | Who | What they can do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The retailer, in writing | Fix the problem under the whole-of-system and product warranties. Keep every message. |
| 2 | Solar Victoria, 1300 376 393 or complaints@team.solar.vic.gov.au | Bring you and the retailer together if they've stopped responding. It rarely intervenes in the install itself, but it audits retailers and can suspend or remove them. |
| 3 | Clean Energy Council, as NETCC code administrator | Investigate a breach of the consumer code by an approved seller. |
| 4 | Consumer Affairs Victoria | Explain your rights under Australian Consumer Law and help you manage the dispute. |
| 5 | VCAT | A formal hearing if you're seeking compensation or a refund. Solar Victoria suggests legal advice first. |
Problems with your electricity retailer or distributor, such as a delayed grid connection or a feed-in tariff dispute, go to the Energy and Water Ombudsman Victoria instead. Complaint process per solar.vic.gov.au, last updated 13 August 2025.
Run us through the same checks.
Tidy Energy Pty Ltd (ABN 64 636 694 543) is a channel partner, not an installer. We handle the quote, the rebate paperwork and the customer relationship. The install is delivered by our install partner, which holds Solar Victoria Authorised Retailer status, is an Accredited Provider under the Victorian Energy Upgrades program, uses products from the Clean Energy Council approved lists, and sends SAA-accredited installers. Ask us for the partner's ABN, the installer's SAA number and the REC number, and look them up. Every Tidy quote is itemised and valid for at least 30 days, so there's time to do it.
Checking an installer, answered.
How do I check a solar installer is accredited in Victoria?
Ask for the installer's Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA) accreditation number and check it at saaustralia.com.au/accreditation-status-check. Then check the business selling you the system is on the Solar Victoria authorised retailer list at solar.vic.gov.au/find-authorised-retailer, and check the electrician's licence on the Energy Safe Victoria public register. Those three checks take about five minutes and cover the installer, the retailer and the electrical work.
Is CEC accreditation still a thing for solar installers?
Not for individual installers. Solar Accreditation Australia took over installer and designer accreditation from the Clean Energy Council on 29 February 2024, so a quote that says 'CEC-accredited installer' is using an out-of-date term. The Clean Energy Council still runs the approved products lists for panels, inverters and batteries, and it administers the New Energy Tech Consumer Code that retailers sign up to.
How do I check if a retailer is a Solar Victoria authorised retailer?
Search solar.vic.gov.au/find-authorised-retailer by trading name. The list shows the retailer's ABN and whether they're authorised for solar PV, hot water or both. Only an authorised retailer can apply the Solar Homes rebate to your invoice. Solar Victoria updated the list on 18 September 2026 and audits the businesses on it.
What is the difference between the solar retailer and the installer?
The retailer is the business you sign the contract with. It's responsible for the quote, the rebate application, the warranty and the invoice, and it must be a Solar Victoria authorised retailer and a NETCC signatory. The installer is the accredited person who does the work, often a subcontractor. Both need checking: the retailer on the Solar Victoria list, the installer on the SAA register. Tidy Energy is neither. Tidy is a channel partner that handles the quote and paperwork, and the install is delivered by its accredited install partner.
What paperwork should I get after a solar install in Victoria?
A Certificate of Electrical Safety from the registered electrical contractor, written confirmation from the retailer that the system is complete, functional and installed as designed, the product warranty terms for each component with details of who to contact if a product fails, and a financial performance estimate for the system. Solar Victoria requires each of these from its authorised retailers, along with a minimum five-year whole-of-system warranty.
Do I get a cooling-off period on a solar contract in Victoria?
Yes. Solar Victoria requires its authorised retailers to give you 10 full business days to reconsider an agreement made in any circumstances, with no penalty if you cancel. The period starts on the first business day after you sign. Door-to-door and cold-call telemarketing sales are banned for the Solar Homes program, and unsolicited sales carry the same 10-business-day cooling-off right under Australian Consumer Law.
Who do I complain to about a solar installer in Victoria?
Start with the retailer in writing. If they don't respond, contact Solar Victoria on 1300 376 393 or complaints@team.solar.vic.gov.au. Solar Victoria rarely intervenes in an installation dispute but can bring you and the retailer together. For a breach of the New Energy Tech Consumer Code, complain to the Clean Energy Council as code administrator. Consumer Affairs Victoria can explain your rights and help with a dispute, and VCAT is the route for compensation. Report anyone door-knocking or cold-calling about Solar Homes or the VEU program to enquiries@team.solar.vic.gov.au.
How do I check an air conditioning or heat pump hot water installer in Victoria?
For a Victorian Energy Upgrades discount, the business must be an Accredited Provider on the Essential Services Commission's public registry at veu.esc.vic.gov.au. Anyone handling refrigerant, which includes installing a split system, needs an ARCtick refrigerant handling licence you can check at lookforthetick.com.au. A heat pump hot water installer needs a plumbing licence, checked on the Building and Plumbing Commission's find-a-practitioner tool, and Solar Victoria's hot water rebate needs a retailer on its hot water authorised list.
How is Tidy Energy's install partner checked?
Tidy Energy Pty Ltd (ABN 64 636 694 543) doesn't install. Every install is delivered by an install partner that holds Solar Victoria Authorised Retailer status, is an Accredited Provider under the Victorian Energy Upgrades program, uses products from the Clean Energy Council approved lists, and sends SAA-accredited installers. You can run the partner's details through the same five registers on this page before you sign, and every Tidy quote is itemised and valid for at least 30 days so you have time to do it.
Go deeper.
- How Tidy works, from quiz to switch-on
- Solar Homes Program 2026, the rebate an authorised retailer applies
- Victorian Energy Upgrades air conditioning discounts, what an Accredited Provider can offer
- Heat pump hot water rebate, and why the installer needs a plumbing licence
- Tidy FAQ, warranties, quotes and who to call after install