Australia suspends 21 solar companies from Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme in compliance crackdown

The suspensions form part of a broader enforcement push the regulator describes as a compliance crackdown targeting incomplete and incorrectly declared solar installations.

Among those named, Asun Solar Pty Ltd, an Australian rooftop solar retailer and installer, was suspended for failing to meet ongoing obligations under the scheme.

A separate company was suspended for providing false or misleading statements, declaring solar systems to be complete and capable of generating electricity when they were not.

CER Acting Chair Carl Binning said the regulator would not tolerate substandard work.

“False statements and incomplete work will not be tolerated,” he said. “We’re warning installers that we will fail their applications and send them back to site if things aren’t done properly the first time.”

Under the SRES, consumers are entitled to small-scale technology certificates when they install eligible rooftop solar or battery systems, which can be sold to offset part of the installation cost.

Retailers and installers must meet fit and proper person requirements as an ongoing condition of participation, demonstrating compliance with the law alongside the integrity, capability and competence to fulfil their role as scheme providers.

To help strengthen compliance checks, the CER has introduced an AI tool to support officers conducting solar battery labelling assessments. The tool assists in identifying issues with required labels and evaluating the accuracy of metadata that must accompany each image submitted with an application.

AI and enforcement in a growing market

The enforcement action arrives as Australia’s rooftop solar sector continues to expand, placing greater pressure on the quality of installer compliance.

Australia surpassed 20GW of installed rooftop solar capacity in 2023, a milestone underpinned by the financial incentive the SRES provides to households.

In 2024, the Clean Energy Council, Australia’s renewable energy industry body, was nominated by the CER to continue as the solar module and inverter product assurance body under the scheme, reaffirming its role in approving products eligible for small-scale technology certificates.

In contrast with strong household uptake, the commercial and industrial (C&I) segment remains underdeveloped.

A report published in June 2026 by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), a global energy finance think tank, found that Australian businesses have deployed only 5.6GW of rooftop solar, against a technical potential that could reach between 17GW and 31GW by 2050, describing the sector as a “missing middle” caught between residential incentive frameworks and utility-scale support mechanisms.

The compliance crackdown also comes at a time when rooftop solar’s contribution to the National Electricity Market is under closer scrutiny.

As PV Tech reported, combined solar generation fell 21% in June as an end-of-month pricing spike pushed wholesale prices above AU$120/MWh (US$84/MWh), underscoring how the reliability of declared generating capacity directly affects grid outcomes.

Looking further ahead, the scale of Australia’s rooftop solar buildout also carries significant implications for the materials supply chain.

Researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) have warned that accelerating solar deployment raises pressure on silver supply chains, with current consumption rates raising questions about material availability within years if module recycling rates remain low.

Beyond the SRES suspensions, the CER’s quarterly update covers activity across several other schemes.

On the Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) Scheme, the federal government’s primary carbon crediting mechanism, the regulator says improving audit quality remains a priority, with independent audits providing assurance that participants are correctly applying the relevant method and accurately reporting carbon abatement.