--- title: "No CoC for your solar system: what it means and how to fix it" description: No Certificate of Compliance for your solar? Here's why it matters for insurance, selling and SSEG, and the three steps to getting one properly. image: https://cleanvolts.co.za/hubfs/CleanVolts%20No%20CoC%20for%20your%20solar%20system.png --- [Skip to content](https://cleanvolts.co.za/guides/no-coc-for-solar#main-content) [![CleanVolts](https://cleanvolts.co.za/hs-fs/hubfs/clean%20volts%20logo-2.png?width=1200&height=336&name=clean%20volts%20logo-2.png)Homepage](https://cleanvolts.co.za/) - Services - [Solar Health Check](https://cleanvolts.co.za/health-check) - [The Audit](https://cleanvolts.co.za/audit) - [Remediation](https://cleanvolts.co.za/remediation) - [Monitoring](https://cleanvolts.co.za/monitoring) - [Service Plans](https://cleanvolts.co.za/service-plans) - [Solar Panel Cleaning](https://cleanvolts.co.za/solar-panel-cleaning) - [Tariff Re-Optimisation](https://cleanvolts.co.za/tariff-optimisation) - [Planning a new solar system?](https://cleanvolts.co.za/new-installations) - [Guides](https://cleanvolts.co.za/guides) - [Checklist](https://cleanvolts.co.za/checklist) - About - [About CleanVolts](https://cleanvolts.co.za/about) - [The Electricians We Work With](https://cleanvolts.co.za/electrical-partners) - [FAQ](https://cleanvolts.co.za/faq) - For Partners - [Estate Agents & Conveyancers](https://cleanvolts.co.za/estate-agents) - [Insurance Brokers](https://cleanvolts.co.za/insurance-brokers) [Contact](https://cleanvolts.co.za/contact) - Services - [Solar Health Check](https://cleanvolts.co.za/health-check) - [The Audit](https://cleanvolts.co.za/audit) - [Remediation](https://cleanvolts.co.za/remediation) - [Monitoring](https://cleanvolts.co.za/monitoring) - [Service Plans](https://cleanvolts.co.za/service-plans) - [Solar Panel Cleaning](https://cleanvolts.co.za/solar-panel-cleaning) - [Tariff Re-Optimisation](https://cleanvolts.co.za/tariff-optimisation) - [Planning a new solar system?](https://cleanvolts.co.za/new-installations) - [Guides](https://cleanvolts.co.za/guides) - [Checklist](https://cleanvolts.co.za/checklist) - About - [About CleanVolts](https://cleanvolts.co.za/about) - [The Electricians We Work With](https://cleanvolts.co.za/electrical-partners) - [FAQ](https://cleanvolts.co.za/faq) - For Partners - [Estate Agents & Conveyancers](https://cleanvolts.co.za/estate-agents) - [Insurance Brokers](https://cleanvolts.co.za/insurance-brokers) [Contact](https://cleanvolts.co.za/contact) ![CleanVolts No CoC for your solar system](https://cleanvolts.co.za/hs-fs/hubfs/CleanVolts%20No%20CoC%20for%20your%20solar%20system.png?width=1920&height=1080&name=CleanVolts%20No%20CoC%20for%20your%20solar%20system.png) # No CoC for your solar system: what it means and how to fix it ![Tony Lopes](https://cleanvolts.co.za/hs-fs/hubfs/clean%20volts%20launch%20post.png?width=48&height=48&name=clean%20volts%20launch%20post.png) Tony Lopes October 5, 2026 Most people find out their solar system has no Certificate of Compliance at a bad moment: when they're selling the house, making an insurance claim, or trying to register the system with City Power. If that's you, don't panic. It's a common problem, especially for systems installed in a hurry during load shedding, and it can be fixed. Here's what it means and how to sort it out. ## **Why It Matters** A solar system is an addition to your electrical installation, and the regulations require a CoC covering it. Without one: - **You can't show the system was checked.** A CoC is the record that a registered person inspected and tested the installation and found it reasonably safe. Without it, nobody knows whether it was. - **Selling gets harder.** When a property changes hands, the electrical installation needs a recent CoC, and solar added since the last certificate needs to be covered too. - **Insurance can be a problem.** If there's a fire or damage involving the system, an insurer can question a claim on an installation that was never certified. - **SSEG registration stalls.** Registering a grid-connected system with City Power typically requires a CoC for the installation. - **It's your responsibility.** As the owner, you're responsible for the safety of your installation. Our guide to [your legal duty as a solar system owner](https://cleanvolts.co.za/guides/solar-owner-legal-responsibility) explains what that involves. ## **Why So Many Systems Don't Have One** A missing CoC doesn't automatically mean the system is dangerous. The usual reasons are: - The installer never issued one, or promised to "send it later" and didn't. - It was issued but has been lost. - The CoC you have is for the house and was issued before the solar went in, so it doesn't cover it. - The person who issued it wasn't registered in a category that covers your installation. - The installer has since closed, taking their records with them. Our guide to [what a CoC does and doesn't mean](https://cleanvolts.co.za/guides/solar-certificate-of-compliance) shows you how to check whether the certificate you have actually covers the solar. ## **How to Fix It in Three Steps** ### **1. Ask the Installer First** If your installer is still trading, ask them for a copy of the CoC and test report. Whoever did the installation work had a duty to make sure a valid certificate was issued for it, so this is the quickest and cheapest route. If they've closed, our guide to [what to do when your installer has gone out of business](https://cleanvolts.co.za/guides/solar-installer-out-of-business) covers the next steps. ### **2. Have the System Inspected and Tested** If you can't get a copy, a registered person needs to inspect and test the system as it stands. A CoC can only be issued after that's been done properly. There's no shortcut. The inspection will either confirm the installation is compliant, or produce a list of what needs fixing. ### **3. Fix What Needs Fixing, Then Certify** If the inspection finds faults, they have to be put right before a certificate can be issued. Common findings on systems from the load-shedding years include missing isolation or labelling, poor earthing, undersized cables and equipment mounted somewhere it shouldn't be. Once the work is done, the registered person issues a CoC in their own name, usually as a supplementary certificate linked to your existing one for the house. ## **How Long Does It Take, and What Does It Cost?** It depends almost entirely on what the inspection finds. A well-installed system might need little more than the inspection and the certificate. One with real problems needs the remedial work first. That's why the inspection comes first: it turns an unknown problem into a specific list you can get quoted. If you're planning to sell, start early. Remedial work and certification can take longer than a property transfer is willing to wait. ## **What to Watch Out For** - **A certificate without an inspection.** If someone offers to issue a CoC without inspecting and testing first, walk away. A certificate issued that way doesn't give you the protection you think it does. - **"It all has to be replaced."** Occasionally true, usually not. Ask for the findings in writing, with each recommended repair explained. - **Leaving it until you need it.** A missing CoC is easy to ignore until the day it isn't. Fixing it on your own schedule is cheaper and calmer than fixing it under pressure. ## **Where We Fit In** We help homeowners get from "no CoC" to "certified" without the guesswork. A Solar Health Check tells you where your system stands and what stands between you and a certificate. We don't issue CoCs ourselves. A registered electrical contractor you contract directly does any remedial work and issues the CoC in their own name. We [scope it, coordinate it and check it's done](https://cleanvolts.co.za/remediation). We work across Blairgowrie, Linden, Randburg, Ferndale, Northcliff, Fairland, Emmarentia, Greenside, Parkhurst and the suburbs around them. [**Book a Health Check**](https://cleanvolts.co.za/book-an-audit), or start with our free checklist, "[Is your solar system legal and safe?](https://cleanvolts.co.za/checklist)". ## Share this post [mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fcleanvolts.co.za%2Fguides%2Fno-coc-for-solar](mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fcleanvolts.co.za%2Fguides%2Fno-coc-for-solar) ## Keep reading ### [![CleanVolts My solar installer has gone out of business](https://cleanvolts.co.za/hs-fs/hubfs/CleanVolts%20My%20solar%20installer%20has%20gone%20out%20of%20business.png?width=1920&height=1080&name=CleanVolts%20My%20solar%20installer%20has%20gone%20out%20of%20business.png) My installer has gone out of business. Who services my system now?](https://cleanvolts.co.za/guides/solar-installer-out-of-business) ### [![CleanVolts Was your solar installed properly](https://cleanvolts.co.za/hs-fs/hubfs/CleanVolts%20Was%20your%20solar%20installed%20properly.png?width=1920&height=1080&name=CleanVolts%20Was%20your%20solar%20installed%20properly.png) Was your solar installed properly? 10 checks you can do yourself](https://cleanvolts.co.za/guides/was-my-solar-installed-properly) [![CleanVolts](https://cleanvolts.co.za/hs-fs/hubfs/clean%20volts%20logo-2.png?width=1200&height=336&name=clean%20volts%20logo-2.png "CleanVolts")](https://cleanvolts.co.za/) - Services - [Solar Health Check](https://cleanvolts.co.za/health-check) - [The Audit](https://cleanvolts.co.za/audit) - [Remediation](https://cleanvolts.co.za/remediation) - [Monitoring](https://cleanvolts.co.za/monitoring) - [Service Plans](https://cleanvolts.co.za/service-plans) - [Solar Panel Cleaning](https://cleanvolts.co.za/solar-panel-cleaning) - [Tariff Re-Optimisation](https://cleanvolts.co.za/tariff-optimisation) - [Planning a new solar system?](https://cleanvolts.co.za/new-installations) - [Guides](https://cleanvolts.co.za/guides) - [Checklist](https://cleanvolts.co.za/checklist) - About - [About CleanVolts](https://cleanvolts.co.za/about) - [The Electricians We Work With](https://cleanvolts.co.za/electrical-partners) - [FAQ](https://cleanvolts.co.za/faq) - For Partners - [Estate Agents & Conveyancers](https://cleanvolts.co.za/estate-agents) - [Insurance Brokers](https://cleanvolts.co.za/insurance-brokers) --- [Privacy Policy](https://cleanvolts.co.za/privacy-policy/) · © 2026 CleanVolts. 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