Australia's regulator suspends Solar Power Nation from rooftop solar scheme

On November 11, 2026, Australia's Clean Energy Regulator (CER) permanently suspended Sydney retailer 1 Solar Australia Pty Ltd, trading as Solar Power Nation, as a registered person under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES). The CER says it is no longer satisfied the company meets the scheme's fit and proper person requirements, so it can no longer act as a registered agent or create small-scale technology certificates (STCs), the certificates behind the scheme's upfront discounts on rooftop solar and, through the Cheaper Home Batteries Program, home batteries.

Two other watchdogs got there first, and the CER cites both. The New Energy Tech Consumer Code's compliance register lists the company among its expulsions from December 15, 2025, for breaches including a non-compliant contract and a non-compliant installation. South Australia's public warning notice, dated July 23, 2026, records 94 complaints against the company or related entities between July 2025 and April 2026, including 41 from consumers who alleged they paid deposits and the company failed to arrange installation in a reasonable time or at all.

The company told the state's Consumer and Business Services (CBS) that a surge in customer demand, created by the reduction of state and Commonwealth rebates on April 30, 2026, caused scheduling delays and slower refunds. The surge shows up in the regulator's own figures: the CER read April's installations, more than 80 per cent of small-scale solar paired with a battery, as households accelerating ahead of the May 1 changes, as The Duck Curve reported.

For customers waiting on an install, the release offers a reporting line rather than a remedy: complaints about a retailer or installation go to the CER. The CER's registered agent rules let an owner assign the right to create STCs to one agent at a time, and to a new agent if the first refuses in writing. CBS, whose notice says it is investigating, asks anyone with concerns to call 131 882.

The company has 60 days to request a review. The CER's July to September 2026 compliance update records the same sanction for Emerging Environmental Group. "We have a zero-tolerance approach for any poor business practice that can create an adverse outcome for the customer," CER Chair Tony Chappel said.