A small-scale technology certificate (STC) claim can reach the submission queue with plenty of attachments and still be difficult to review. A declaration may refer to an earlier equipment choice. A serial-number image may be unreadable. Someone may have marked a folder complete because every upload slot contained a file.
The useful question is whether the records support this installation and the claim being prepared. A clear evidence index helps an administrator collect the material, a reviewer identify exceptions and the authorised party decide whether the claim is ready.
The workflow below is a suggested document-control method. The applicable Clean Energy Regulator requirements, system type and responsible professionals determine what the actual claim needs.
Start from the current requirements
The CER says required documentation must be completed and signed before STCs are created. It directs applicants to system-specific guidance and requires certificates to be created within 12 months of installation. Use the current guidance as the starting point for your collection process. CER guide to creating STCs.
Give your internal checklist an owner, review date and links to its sources. Record which type of installation it covers. A person reviewing a solar PV job should not unknowingly use a template intended for a different system or program.
When requirements change, review active jobs as well as future templates. Decide who will determine whether the change affects each job. Administrators should surface that question rather than assume the new checklist applies identically to every installation.
Build an evidence index for each job
Keep the index short enough to use while reviewing a real file. Each row should connect a requirement to a record and an accountable person. Link to controlled files rather than attaching several indistinguishable copies.
| Index field | Suggested purpose |
|---|---|
| Evidence item | Identifies the record expected for this particular claim |
| Requirement source | Links to the relevant guidance or confirmed instruction |
| File or record link | Opens the current source material directly |
| Responsible person | Identifies who supplies or clarifies the evidence |
| Review state | Separates received, queried and accepted for the next step |
| Exception | States what is missing, inconsistent or unclear |
| Resolution record | Shows the answer, reviewer and date of the decision |
This is an organisational structure, not a substitute list of mandatory documents. The relevant reviewer should determine which evidence items belong in the first column.
Use meaningful filenames, but do not rely on filenames alone. A document labelled “final” can still be superseded. Keep a visible current-version reference and a separate location for earlier records. Where documents arrive from sales, use a clear sales-to-operations handover to record the agreed scope and subsequent changes.
Check that the records describe the same installation
A completeness review should look across the pack. Where the same information appears in multiple records, compare it and flag discrepancies before copying it into another system.
Useful administrative comparisons include the installation address, customer details, stated equipment models and document versions. For solar PV claims, the CER's information guide also explains collection of installation, component, owner and participant details. Check it alongside current scheme guidance when setting up your fields. CER guide to collecting mandatory information for small generation units.
Imagine a hypothetical job where one record says “12 Example Street” and another says “12A Example Street”. The administrator should log the conflict, identify the records involved and request clarification. Automatically choosing the most common value would conceal the very issue the review is meant to find.
Use the same approach for equipment substitutions. Compare the available records, then refer technical implications and required corrections to the responsible professional. An administrative match is not proof of technical compliance.
Keep an exception queue that people can act on
Replace a broad “paperwork missing” status with a specific request. For example: “The uploaded inverter serial-number image cannot be read; responsible installer to advise how the required evidence will be provided.”
Assign the request, record the date raised and state which review step remains blocked. Keep the response beside the original query so the next reviewer does not restart the investigation.
Be especially careful with evidence that should have been captured during installation. CER guidance addresses attendance evidence and says installers must not return after installation to take photos to represent the original attendance, or falsify documents. Escalate gaps honestly; do not recreate a convenient history. CER attendance and photographic evidence requirements.
An exception queue should make unresolved facts more visible. Closing a query requires an adequate answer, not simply another reminder being sent.
Separate collection from approval to create certificates
Define who collects files, who reviews their consistency and who has authority to create the certificates. Identify the people responsible for required declarations and technical decisions. These responsibilities may sit across several organisations.
A Philippines-based administrator can help maintain the index, request documents and prepare records for review. Their access and instructions should match their role. Do not ask them to sign for another person, invent missing details or treat a template's prefilled statement as an established fact.
Automation can flag empty fields or inconsistent identifiers. Route the resulting exceptions to a person who can assess them. Keep the original evidence available; a software-generated summary should not become the only surviving record.
Preserve the submission record and watch deadlines
Record the claim reference, submission date and the version of the evidence pack used. If a query arrives later, the team should be able to reconstruct what was provided and what subsequently changed.
The CER says it can request required documents for up to five years after certificate creation, including for approved claims. Build retrieval and retention into your process and confirm any other recordkeeping obligations that apply. CER documentation requirements.
Maintain a deadline view separate from the installation calendar. Review approaching dates early enough for the responsible people to address questions. Your internal target should leave room for correction; it should not be presented as an extension of a scheme deadline.
Start by applying the index to a few jobs already in review. Count repeat queries and the time spent locating records. If those problems are consuming your team's attention, explore solar administration support with Nexus and define a manageable first workflow.
