---
title: "Solar Certificate of Compliance: What It Does and Doesn't Mean"
description: A CoC says your installation was safe on the day it was inspected. It says nothing about output, battery health or loose connections since. What to know.
image: https://cleanvolts.co.za/hubfs/CleanVolts%20What%20a%20Certificate%20of%20Compliance%20does%20and%20doesnt%20mean.png
---

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# What a Certificate of Compliance does and doesn't mean

![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

September 28, 2026

Most people think about a Certificate of Compliance twice: when the installer hands one over, and when an estate agent asks for one.

In between, there's a lot of confusion. Some homeowners think it expires. Some think it's a guarantee their system works. Some think the certificate they got when they bought the house covers the solar system that went up years later.

Here's what a CoC actually tells you, and what it doesn't.

## **What a CoC Is**

A Certificate of Compliance is the certificate for an electrical installation required by the Electrical Installation Regulations. Only a registered person can issue one, and only after inspecting and testing the installation. Each certificate has a unique number and has to come with a test report.

On the certificate, the registered person declares that they personally inspected and tested the installation, and that they consider it reasonably safe when properly used.

There are three categories of registered person:

- **Electrical tester for single phase**, who can certify installations on a single-phase supply
- **Installation electrician**, who can certify any installation except specialised ones, such as hazardous or medical locations
- **Master installation electrician**, who can certify any installation

If your house has a three-phase supply, a tester for single phase can't certify it.

## **What It Tells You**

A valid CoC tells you three things:

1. On the date it was issued, a registered person inspected and tested the installation it covers.
2. They considered it reasonably safe when properly used.
3. Who they are. Their name and registration number are on the certificate, and they're accountable for that judgement.

That matters. It's the legal baseline, and you need one.

## **What It Doesn't Tell You**

A CoC is a snapshot. It says the installation was safe on the day it was inspected. It says nothing about:

- **What's happened since.** Connections work loose over hot summers and cold nights. Rodents chew cables. Water gets in. A certificate from 2023 can't see any of that.
- **Whether the system is performing.** A CoC is about safety, not output. A system can be safe and still produce far less than it should.
- **Battery health.** Batteries lose capacity with age and use. The certificate doesn't measure it.
- **Whether it's registered with City Power.** Small-scale embedded generation (SSEG) registration is a separate process with the municipality.
- **Whether it's set up well for how you live.** A system configured for load shedding in 2023 can be perfectly safe and still [wrong for 2026](https://cleanvolts.co.za/guides/what-solar-is-for-after-load-shedding).

So a CoC is necessary, but it isn't a clean bill of health. It's where the story starts, not the whole of it.

## **Does My Solar System Need Its Own CoC?**

Yes. A solar system, a battery or a changeover switch is an addition to your electrical installation, and the regulations require a CoC covering at least the addition. It's often issued as a supplementary certificate linked to the original one.

That means the CoC you received when you bought the house doesn't cover solar that went in afterwards. If your system was installed after your last certificate and you don't have a separate one for the solar work, there's a gap.

## **The Two-Year Rule, Explained Properly**

This is the most misunderstood part of the whole subject, and it's sometimes used to frighten homeowners. So, plainly:

**A CoC doesn't expire.** Your installation doesn't become illegal on the certificate's second birthday.

The two-year rule is about selling. The regulations don't allow a change of ownership if the CoC is older than two years. So when you sell, you'll need a certificate issued within the last two years, which is why sellers usually arrange an inspection when the house goes on the market.

Separately, any addition or alteration since the last certificate needs its own certificate. That's why solar added after the last CoC matters at transfer, even when the house certificate is recent.

## **How to Read the CoC You Have**

Get your certificate out and check six things:

1. **It covers the solar work.** Look for the inverter, PV system, battery or changeover switch, on the certificate or in the test report.
2. **The test report is attached.** A CoC has to come with one.
3. **The registered person's details are complete.** Name, registration number, registration category and signature.
4. **The category fits your supply.** A single-phase tester's certificate on a three-phase house is a problem.
5. **There are no corrections.** The certificate is invalid if it has been corrected, and nobody may amend one.
6. **The address is your property.**

If you want to confirm the registration, ask the registered person to show you their certificate of registration. The regulations require them to produce it on request.

## **If Yours Is Missing or Doesn't Cover the Solar**

Start with the installer. If they're still trading, they should be able to give you a copy. Whoever took on the installation work had a duty to make sure a valid CoC was issued for it.

If they can't help, a registered person needs to inspect and test the system as it stands. If they find a fault, they can't issue the certificate until it's been put right. Once it has, they issue a CoC in their own name.

Be wary of anyone who offers a certificate without inspecting and testing first. A CoC issued that way doesn't give you the protection you think it does.

## **Where We Fit In**

A CoC tells you your system was safe on one day. A Solar Health Check tells you how it's doing now: whether it's safe, whether it's performing, and what needs attention.

We don't issue CoCs. Where our check finds work that stands between you and a certificate, a registered electrical contractor you contract directly does that 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)".

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## Keep reading

### [![CleanVolts Your legal duty as a solar system owner](https://cleanvolts.co.za/hs-fs/hubfs/CleanVolts%20Your%20legal%20duty%20as%20a%20solar%20system%20owner.png?width=1920&height=1080&name=CleanVolts%20Your%20legal%20duty%20as%20a%20solar%20system%20owner.png) Your Legal Duty as a Solar System Owner in SA](https://cleanvolts.co.za/guides/solar-owner-legal-responsibility)

### [![Load shedding stopped: what your solar system is for now ](https://cleanvolts.co.za/hs-fs/hubfs/CleanVolts%20Load%20shedding%20stopped%20what%20your%20solar%20system%20is%20for%20now.png?width=1920&height=1080&name=CleanVolts%20Load%20shedding%20stopped%20what%20your%20solar%20system%20is%20for%20now.png) Load Shedding Stopped. What Is Your Solar System For Now?](https://cleanvolts.co.za/guides/what-solar-is-for-after-load-shedding)

[![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/)

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