Regulator Suspends Hello Solar for Rooftop Rebate Violations
The Clean Energy Regulator (CER) in Australia has permanently revoked the registration of another rooftop solar installer, effectively barring it from participating in the federal solar and battery rebate scheme.
This decision follows a recent investigation into a company called “Hello Solar,” which was found to be linked to three other firms—Emerging Energy Solutions Group, NetZero Environmental Group, and Greenbot—all of which have also faced permanent registration suspensions by the CER.
Concerns Over Conduct
Upon further scrutiny, the CER concluded that Hello Solar was “no longer satisfied that Hello Solar was a fit and proper person” under the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000 (REE Act). The investigation revealed that Hello Solar had provided misleading information when requested by the CER.
The regulator has not disclosed the company’s Australian Business Number (ABN) and refers to it solely as “Hello Solar Pty Ltd.” Last year, both Hello Renewable Trading and Hello Solar were implicated in investigations concerning Emerging Energy Solutions Group Pty Ltd, a rooftop solar certificate aggregator that went into liquidation, leaving creditors with debts exceeding $86 million.
Previous Suspensions and Legal Challenges
Emerging Energy had its registration permanently suspended by the CER in September after liquidators were appointed and allegations of misconduct surfaced regarding its Greenbot app. As reported by One Step Off the Grid, a suspension order preventing the online trading platform Greenbot from generating certificates through the federal government’s rooftop solar rebate was reinstated in October of the previous year.
In June, the CER had also “permanently suspended” Greenbot’s registration, citing its failure to comply with the requirements of the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES). Greenbot contested this decision, leading the Federal Court to issue a temporary stay on the CER’s suspension order in early July. However, on October 18, the court lifted the stay on compliance actions while maintaining the stay on the CER’s decision to terminate Greenbot’s role as an app provider under the Solar Panel Validation (SPV) Initiative.
Responsibilities of Registered Agents
Other companies associated with Hello Solar mentioned in the CER’s announcement include NetZero Environmental Group Pty Ltd. While the CER has not provided detailed specifics regarding Hello Solar’s alleged misconduct, its general statement underscores the significant responsibilities held by registered agents and their executives within the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES).
The CER emphasised that registered agents must remain fit and proper individuals and are obligated to report any changes that could impact their status, including certain criminal convictions or breaches of the SRES or other schemes overseen by the CER.
“The CER monitors registered agents and may require them to furnish information regarding their participation in the SRES,” the statement noted. “Providing false or misleading information to the CER, including the omission of crucial details, may lead to the suspension of an agent’s registration, preventing them from creating small-scale technology certificates or large-scale generation certificates. Such actions could also result in criminal prosecution.”
