In South Africa a solar certificate of compliance (CoC) comes from a registered electrical contractor, but the customer needs more than that one page. SAPVIA says the installer also provides supporting documentation and a portfolio of evidence, and Eskom and municipal forms ask for an inverter type-test certificate, serial numbers, a single line diagram and a commissioning report.
The short answer, and why the CoC alone is not enough
Searches for this topic show people typing “solar certificate of compliance south africa”, “solar coc requirements south africa” and “coc for solar installation”. Most pages that answer are installer marketing or news pieces about whether a CoC is needed. They rarely tell the contractor which other papers go with it.
The CoC is the legal declaration. The other papers are what the distributor, the customer and, later, an insurer or buyer use to check that the declaration describes the equipment that is actually on the wall. If the inverter model on the CoC pack differs from the one on the roof, the pack argues with itself, and the contractor who signed is the person asked to explain.
What SAPVIA says the installer provides
SAPVIA’s SSEG registration process guide says the registered electrical contractor must install to SANS 10142-1 and SANS 60364-7-712, and provide the homeowner with a Certificate of Compliance, all supporting documentation and a portfolio of evidence proving compliance with those standards. It also says the contractor provides an Embedded Generation Installation Report.
The same guide says the contractor may handle SSEG registration for the homeowner, but the responsibility for SSEG compliance stays with the homeowner. Every system must be registered with the licensed distributor, systems above 100 kW or 100 kVA must also register with NERSA, and each distributor, Eskom or a municipality, sets its own process and technical requirements.
What Eskom asks for today
Eskom’s statement of 14 January 2026 lists three documents for registration: a Certificate of Compliance for the electrical wiring, an NRS 097-2-1 inverter type-test certificate and an SSEG commissioning test report, with 12 months after registration to supply the report. It also says that since 1 October 2025 a residential system can be signed off by a person registered with the Department of Employment and Labour, and an ECSA professional is no longer required. SAPVIA describes the same change in its January 2026 article.
Eskom’s Embedded Generator Installation (EGI) compliance report goes further. Its notes say a valid CoC must be issued for every SSEG installation by a registered person, and that the report is signed off by a registered Installation Electrician or Master Electrician. Part A asks whether the CoC and a detailed test report are attached, whether the notice at the main switch is displayed, whether the owner was shown safe operation and given the manuals, and whether an as-built single line diagram that matches the installation is attached. Part B asks for inverter make and model, the number of inverters, their serial numbers and total capacity, and how NRS 097-2-1 compliance is shown.
What a municipal form can ask for
A municipal distributor can ask for something different. One municipal SSEG commissioning report dated February 2025 asks for the manufacturer and model of key equipment, the total AC rating in kVA, single or three phase, and the serial numbers of key equipment such as the inverters. Its attachments checklist asks for the final as-built circuit diagram, the NRS 097-2-1 type-test certificate (with a separate one for a storage inverter in parallel) and the SANS 10142-1 CoC.
That form also carries declarations on anti-islanding and reconnection, safety labels, export limits and, where storage is fitted, charging current limits. Treat it as an example of what one council asked for in 2025, not as a rule for your area. Ask the municipality for its current form before the job starts.
Handover checklist to copy
This list is built from the SAPVIA guide, Eskom’s notice and EGI report, and the municipal form above. Remove what your distributor does not ask for and add what it does.
- Certificate of Compliance, and the supplementary CoC number if one was issued, with the signer’s registration type and number.
- Inverter make, model and serial number for every inverter, and the battery make, model and serial number if storage is fitted.
- NRS 097-2-1 type-test certificate for each inverter model, and a separate one for a storage inverter that runs in parallel.
- SSEG commissioning test report or Embedded Generation Installation Report, whichever your distributor uses.
- As-built single line diagram that matches what is on site.
- Photographs of each nameplate and of the installed unit, so the serials on the paperwork can be checked later.
- Proof that the owner was shown safe operation and given the operating, maintenance and safety manuals.
- Copies of the registration application and the distributor’s approval, if you handled registration for the customer.
Who issues and who keeps each paper
Four people touch this pack, and each paper has one natural owner. Writing that down before the job stops the last-minute hunt for a type-test certificate that the manufacturer holds.
| Document | Who produces it | Who keeps a copy |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Compliance | Registered electrical contractor (signed by a registered electrician) | Customer, and the contractor |
| NRS 097-2-1 inverter type-test certificate | Test laboratory, supplied through the manufacturer or distributor | Customer, distributor, and the contractor |
| Commissioning or EGI report | Registered person who tested the system | Customer and the distributor |
| As-built single line diagram | Contractor or designer | Customer and the distributor |
| Nameplate and unit photographs, equipment register | Crew that installed the equipment | Contractor, and the customer in the handover pack |
Mistakes that cost time, and the fix
Most delays come from a mismatch between papers, not from a missing standard. Each of these is avoidable on the day.
- Serial typed from the box or the quote. Read it from the nameplate on the installed unit, and photograph the plate.
- Battery added later with no new CoC. A 2026 property-industry article quotes an expert saying that adding batteries, panels or a new inverter needs a new Certificate of Compliance, so keep the original equipment record so the add-on visit starts from facts.
- Registering with the wrong form. Eskom and each municipality use their own, so confirm which one applies before commissioning.
- Commissioning report left until last. Eskom gives 12 months after registration, but the test details are easiest to write down on the day.
- Maintenance manual forgotten. The same 2026 article says installations after June 2026 need a maintenance manual aligned with IEC 62446-1:2018, and that SABS had not yet published that standard, so ask your inspector what they accept.
Install day with Baton
Your crew opens a link or scans a QR code and types the 6-digit job code. There is no account and no app to install, and it works with no signal, which matters on a farm roof or in a basement plant room. For each unit they photograph the nameplate, take two photos of the unit, and record its condition and location.
Inverter, battery and panels are separate lines, and any other equipment, such as a changeover switch or a distribution board, can be named on site. Two AI models read every nameplate, and a person in your office checks the manufacturer, model and serial against the photo. That gives you the equipment details the forms above ask for, taken from the plate and not from memory.
The register is exported as PDF, Excel and CSV and saved in your own Google Drive. The PDF shows each unit’s nameplate and unit photographs on its own page, and the Excel and CSV carry a pointer to that page. The attachments index lists your CoC, type-test certificates, single line diagram and approval letters with a reference, a date and who issued them, and the cover has a sign-off block.
What Baton does not do
Baton does not issue the Certificate of Compliance or a commissioning report, does not hold test results, and does not register a system with Eskom, a municipality or NERSA. It does not guarantee that a pack meets any distributor’s rules. You keep those papers and attach them. Baton keeps the proof of what was installed next to them, in the customer’s own Drive.
Quick answers
- What is a solar certificate of compliance in South Africa?
- It is the Certificate of Compliance for the electrical installation, issued by a registered electrical contractor. SAPVIA says the installer also gives the homeowner supporting documentation and a portfolio of evidence, and Eskom asks for the CoC, an inverter type-test certificate and a commissioning report.
- Who can sign a solar installation certificate of compliance?
- Eskom’s EGI report says the report is signed off by a Department of Employment and Labour registered Installation Electrician or Master Electrician. Eskom’s January 2026 statement says an ECSA professional is no longer required for a residential system.
- What does a solar system certificate of compliance need alongside it?
- Eskom lists an NRS 097-2-1 inverter type-test certificate and a commissioning report. Its EGI report also asks for a test report, the as-built single line diagram and inverter serial numbers. A municipality may ask for different attachments, so check its current form.
- Does a solar panel certificate of compliance need renewing after a battery is added?
- A 2026 property-industry article quotes an expert saying adding batteries, panels or a new inverter needs a new Certificate of Compliance. Confirm with your inspector. Keeping the original equipment record makes that visit quicker.
- How does Baton help with the solar portfolio of evidence?
- Baton records each nameplate and two unit photos on site, a person checks manufacturer, model and serial against the photo, and the register with each unit’s photo in the PDF sits in your Google Drive next to the attachments you add.
- Does Baton issue the Certificate of Compliance?
- No. Baton does not issue certificates, test reports or registrations. It records the equipment and lets you attach your own certificates, with a reference and date, to the handover.
Sources
- SAPVIA — Small Scale Embedded Generation (SSEG) Registration Process (installer duties, CoC, portfolio of evidence, NERSA above 100 kW)
- SAPVIA — calls for constructive dialogue on solar system registrations (January 2026)
- Eskom — Solar PV registration legal compliance campaign update (14 January 2026)
- Eskom — Embedded Generator Installation (EGI) compliance test report, 240-153339608 Rev 1
- Kgatelopele Local Municipality — SSEG Commissioning Report (February 2025)
- Property Professional — How the solar boom rewrote the compliance rulebook (11 August 2026)