CEC product listing
Clean Energy Council product listing
A product must be on the relevant CEC approved list at the time of installation for small-scale technology certificates to be created. We assemble the application, coordinate the evidence, and manage it through to listing.
What the CEC lists, and why it matters
The Clean Energy Council maintains approved product lists for PV modules, inverters and batteries. In October 2024 the Clean Energy Regulator nominated the CEC as the product listing body for small-scale renewables under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme, which is what gives the lists their force.
A product must be listed at the time of installation for small-scale technology certificates to be created. That single fact is why distributors, retailers and installers will not touch unlisted product — and why listing is usually the commercial gate rather than the technical one.
What each category requires
PV modules
Testing to the IEC 61215 and IEC 61730 series by IECEE CB-scheme accredited laboratories, certified by a national certifying body under the IECEE, with periodic factory inspections. Enhanced listings are available against the salt mist, ammonia and PID standards where the product is intended for those environments.
Inverters
Compliance with AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 Amendment 2:2024, which has been mandatory for applications since 23 August 2025. Safety is assessed by JAS-ANZ accredited certification bodies or state electrical safety regulators. Separately, the importer or manufacturer must be registered in the EESS database — an electrical safety obligation that sits outside the CEC process entirely.
Batteries
Two pathways: the legacy 2018 Best Practice Guide, or SA TS 5398:2025, released in October 2025, with testing by an IEC or JAS-ANZ accredited certifying body. Listings under the SA TS pathway run for three years from approval; Best Practice Guide listings run to 31 December 2027, whichever comes first.
What we do
- Determine which list applies and what your product must demonstrate
- Review existing test reports and certificates against the current requirements, and identify what will not be accepted
- Scope and coordinate any additional testing or certification through accredited bodies
- Assemble the full application pack — declarations, manuals, warranty terms, datasheets, test certificates — so it is complete on first submission
- Lodge and manage the application through to listing, and respond to assessor queries
- For inverters, confirm the EESS registration obligation is met alongside
- Track listing expiry and standard transitions, including the battery re-listing workload created by the January 2026 expiry changes
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Didn't the Clean Energy Council hand this over to Solar Accreditation Australia?
Installer and designer accreditation moved to Solar Accreditation Australia in 2024. Product listing did not. In October 2024 the Clean Energy Regulator nominated the Clean Energy Council as the product listing body for small-scale renewables under the SRES, so the approved product lists remain with the CEC. The two functions are separate and are routinely confused.
Why does listing matter commercially?
Because a product must be on the relevant CEC approved list at the time of installation for small-scale technology certificates to be created under the SRES. That flows through to the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program, which requires the battery, inverter and modules all to be listed, and to state programs built on the same lists. Distributors and installers therefore treat listing as non-negotiable, whether or not it is a legal obligation on you.
Is CEC listing the same as EESS registration?
No. EESS registration is an electrical safety obligation under state law and applies to the importer or manufacturer as Responsible Supplier. CEC listing is a scheme eligibility mechanism. Inverter applicants need both, and we routinely see one done without the other.
Why do applications get delayed?
Overwhelmingly because the submission is incomplete — a missing warranty document, installation manual, datasheet, test report or certificate. The assessment itself is technical, but the queue is administrative. Getting the pack right first time is the single biggest lever on how long it takes.
What changed with batteries recently?
SA TS 5398:2025 was released in October 2025 as the successor to the 2018 Best Practice Guide, and the CEC is mid-transition between the two pathways. In January 2026 expiry dates for a large number of listed products were brought forward, which has created a substantial re-listing workload across the industry. If your battery was listed under the older pathway, it is worth checking your expiry date now rather than later.
Want to learn more?
Speak to a Chartered Professional Engineer about your product, your target market and the approval pathway that actually applies to it.
Talk to an engineer
Getting a module, inverter or battery listed?
Most delays come from an incomplete pack, not a technical failure. Send us what you hold and we will tell you what is missing before you submit.