Approved Solar Products In Australia: So Many Choices!

How many solar products are currently approved for installation in Australia by the Clean Energy Council (CEC)? The answer may surprise you. Here’s how to navigate the dizzying array of options.

For a long time, the CEC has maintained lists of approved solar products. It’s an important task, particularly as only solar panels and inverters listed at the time of installation are eligible for Australia’s solar rebate and some state incentives. As well as panels and inverters, the organisation also maintains a list of approved energy storage devices – and the CEC tick has been needed for some state battery programs.

According to a report from the organisation released this week, there are currently 7,250 approved rooftop solar panel, inverter and storage products on its lists, which represents a 12 per cent increase compared to its previous bi-annual report. The breakdown:

• 1,620 inverter models from 108 manufacturers.
• 5,075 solar panel models from 115 manufacturers.
• 555 battery models from 86 manufacturers.

However, the list of approved solar panels will be getting a haircut very soon as a bunch of listings will expire early next week. Added to that, some of the active listings across all components are no longer sold here. But the products keep coming, with many manufacturers eager to maintain or get a bigger slice of the Australian market pie.

In the first half of 2024, the CEC states it received 245 applications for product listings, and 174 applications were approved. This workload resulted in an increased application timeline during the period and processing time is currently four to six weeks.

“To meet growing demand, the Products team have expanded from four to nine specialists over the past six months, resulting in 28 additional applications approved in June 2024 compared to May 2024,” states the CEC.

The organisation says it will continue to review resourcing for its program.

Solar Buyers Spoiled For Choice, What To Do?

Choice is a wonderful thing – but too many choices can make a purchase decision more challenging. The CEC’s Approved Product Lists really only tell you what inverters and panels can be installed in Australia (and what batteries have received the CEC’s blessing), not if a particular product is the best choice for a buyer’s circumstances.

With so many eligible products – and quality and price varying wildly – what’s a consumer with limited knowledge (and time) to do when comparing quotes for systems? SolarQuotes has a bunch of tools to assist in a purchase decision; among them:

• Solar panels: Guide | Reviews | SQ-recommended brands
• Inverters: Guide | Reviews | SQ-recommended brands
• Home Batteries: Guide | Reviews | SQ-recommended brands

And of course, there’s SolarQuotes founder Finn’s hugely popular Solar 101 Guide.

Will The CEC Remain Solar Product Gatekeeper?

In 2020, then-Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor ordered a review of Australia’s Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) by the Clean Energy Regulator (CER). Among the issues to be scrutinised was the approval process for and managing ongoing compliance of panels and solar inverters. A couple of years later, the Clean Energy Regulator undertook a public consultation regarding whether it should nominate an organisation to publish inverter and solar module product lists under the SRES.

Not everyone wants the CEC to maintain gatekeeper status – some have been unhappy about the extended timeframes for review of applications, and the costs involved.

To cut a long-ish story short, the CER ended up nominating the CEC to continue in the role, with a couple of changes in how things will work. But that nomination isn’t a done deal. Another consultation regarding the decision was initiated; submissions for which closed last month.

The CER says its final decision will be published before the end of this month – so it should be any day now.