A battery added to an existing solar installation can look like a small variation on a familiar job. The customer is already in the CRM, the site has panels and the installer knows the address. Copying the old PV folder feels efficient.
The difficulty is that the battery has its own configuration, evidence and claim questions. A well-organised file must explain what was already there, what changed and who checked it.
This practical workflow focuses on common grid-connected household jobs. It uses official guidance checked on 22 September 2026 and supports the responsible professionals’ work; it does not determine a system’s eligibility.
Classify the battery job before preparing the pack
Start with three separate descriptions: a new battery with new PV, a new battery connected to existing PV, or additional capacity for an existing battery. Give replacements their own review route rather than quietly labelling them new installations.
Record the existing battery’s claim history early. CER guidance allows some expansions where the existing battery has not previously received STCs, subject to its other requirements. Additional batteries are not eligible after the first battery claim for the relevant grid-connected premises. CER: battery eligibility and expansions.
A support person can collect the customer’s supplied history and flag gaps. The retailer must check previous battery claims before quoting; an administrator should not turn “customer unsure” into “no previous claim”. CER: retailer responsibilities.
Keep PV and battery records linked but distinct
Use one job reference with clearly identified PV and battery sections. Shared contact details can have one controlled source, while each system retains its own equipment and evidence records.
The table below is an organisational template, not a complete list of mandatory documents.
| Job-pack area | PV section | Battery section |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Existing array and any new PV work | New battery, expansion or replacement requiring review |
| Equipment | Panel and inverter details relevant to the PV work | Existing and supplied battery units, modules and associated components |
| Configuration | Current PV design and authorised revisions | Before-and-after battery configuration and responsible review |
| Evidence | PV installation records and applicable statements | Battery installation records and applicable statements |
| Customer handover | PV operating information supplied | Battery operating information supplied and unresolved customer questions |
This makes a combined job easier to review without implying the paperwork is interchangeable. CER requires a retailer written statement for each system, including when PV and battery are installed together. CER: written statements.
Use the broader STC evidence-pack approach for document indexing, then add the battery-specific fields your reviewer identifies.
Record the configuration actually supplied
Build an equipment register showing the exact supplied make, model, quantity and serial number, with a source link for each entry. Keep quoted, supplied and installed equipment in distinct columns until the responsible person reconciles them. Record nominal and usable capacity separately, using the manufacturer’s documentation and the reviewer’s confirmed interpretation.
For stackable expansions, the CER requires the final configuration to match an approved product at certification. Compatibility and re-certification of the whole system need professional assessment. For an eligible expansion, STCs relate to the new modules’ capacity; the claim also records the existing system. CER: stackable battery systems.
Keep the product document’s revision, the date it was checked and the reviewer’s response. A supplier description such as “same battery, larger size” is insufficient to resolve a configuration question.
Give a solar VA responsibility for organising these records and reporting differences. Keep compatibility and design decisions with the responsible, appropriately accredited professional, using a clear preparation and review boundary.
Plan evidence collection before installation
Send the installer the current evidence requirements before the appointment. For combined jobs, CER requires separate onsite verification photos for PV and battery. Battery evidence also includes installation-stage attendance, completion, serial-number and critical-labelling photos. CER: battery installer evidence requirements.
Your administrator can prepare labelled upload locations and check whether received files are readable and associated with the right system. The installer remains responsible for the required evidence; administrative receipt is not technical acceptance.
Preserve original files and metadata. Record installation, testing and certificate dates as supplied, with their source documents. Flag conflicting dates for review instead of changing one to match a planned appointment.
Missing contemporaneous evidence needs an honest escalation. CER prohibits returning after installation to take photos that misrepresent the original attendance. CER: onsite verification requirements.
Send exceptions to the person who can resolve them
Consider a hypothetical expansion job. The quote specifies three additional modules, the delivery record lists four and the uploaded photos do not clearly identify every module. The old battery’s model is also missing from the file.
The VA should create one exception linking the conflicting records and requesting confirmation of the existing and installed configuration. Procurement can clarify the delivery; the responsible installer and designer address what was installed and its technical implications. The party preparing the claim needs the resolved capacity information.
Keep the affected handover pending. Do not choose the quantity that appears most often, infer serial numbers or enlarge the claim to match the delivery docket.
Close the exception with the authoritative response, updated records and reviewer’s name. That gives the next person an explanation they can follow, rather than a clean-looking spreadsheet hiding uncertainty.
Refresh the calculation and finish the claim handover
Avoid storing a permanent rebate figure in the battery template. Since 1 May 2026, STC calculations use capacity tiers, and the applicable factor depends on installation and certification timing. DCCEEW: battery STC calculations.
Have the responsible reviewer confirm the current calculation inputs and record when the estimate was prepared. If the equipment or schedule changes, create a review task and have the commercial owner address any customer-facing consequences.
Before claim handover, distinguish records received from records reviewed and statements completed. CER requires relevant documentation to be completed and signed before STCs are created, with creation within 12 months of installation. CER: creating STCs.
A Philippines-based administrator can maintain the battery queue, chase identified gaps and assemble the reviewer’s pack. Give them current source links, named escalation contacts and access appropriate to that work.
Talk to Nexus about organising solar and battery administration support.
