The NSW Consumer Energy Resources Installer Portal

The CER Installer Portal is a digital tool that will make it easier for installers anywhere in NSW to:

• register new or upgraded rooftop solar systems
• check that installations meet safety and technical standards
• confirm that systems are connected to the local distribution network utility server via the internet
• integrate with connection portals for Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy and Essential Energy. 

The portal will launch in mid-2026.

The portal provides a simpler way for distribution networks and installers to:

• register accurate details about new and upgraded CER being connected into the grid automatically share data to AEMO’s Distributed Energy Resources Register and the NSW Building Commission’s Certificate of Compliance for electrical work (CCEW)
• confirm that these systems meet national standards
• ensure communication with the relevant distribution network’s utility server. 

This standard approach to ensuring compliance means that distribution networks can:

• temporarily reduce exports or pause generation as a last resort in emergency conditions when instructed by AEMO to secure the grid (called the Emergency Backstop Mechanism)
• allow customers with flexible exports to feed more solar energy into the grid when the grid is stable).

From mid-2026 installers in NSW will be required to:

• fit all new and upgraded rooftop solar systems up to 200kW with inverters that comply with a new Australian standard, called Common Smart Inverter Profile - Australia (CSIP-AUS )
• register all new and replacement grid-connected CER up to 200kW through the portal
• test that all newly installed rooftop systems registered in the portal are communicating over the internet with the relevant distribution network's utility server. (Where a premises lacks reliable internet connectivity, a low default export limit will apply until connectivity is available.)

The portal will play a critical role in supporting the Emergency Backstop Mechanism and helping keep our electricity grid secure and reliable. 

AEMO has warned that, in certain conditions when solar output is high and demand is low, this can create a potential imbalance between supply and demand. These situations, known as minimum system load events, pose a risk to the safe operation of our network. 

The Emergency Backstop Mechanism is intended as a tool of last resort to keep the power system secure under rare emergency conditions. It acts as a safeguard against imbalances between supply and demand that could otherwise lead to local or state-wide outages if not managed properly.

Currently some DNSPs have had to apply a fixed limit on the amount of excess solar energy customers can export back into the grid. 

The portal ensures that new and upgraded rooftop solar systems are compliant and able to communicate over the internet with network utility servers. 

This enables networks to flexibly manage the exports of compliant systems, which means customers can maximise exports when there is capacity in the local network, and networks can reduce exports when needed to maintain local grid stability. 

This approach helps customers get more value from their solar systems and reduces the need for last resort measures like the emergency backstop.

The NSW Government will support solar businesses with clear communication and comprehensive training, so they are ready to go on day one. 

We are working closely with NSW DNSPs and Energy Networks Australia to: 

• develop a suite of simple, accessible and informative training materials that will be made available before the portal is introduced
• engage with solar industry representatives through a CER Industry Reference Group to help design the portal and supporting resources. 

There may also be opportunities for installers to use a prototype of the portal ahead of its release, to test functionality and usability.