Former solar installer to repay $48k

The director of a solar energy business that was based in Western Australia for five years has been ordered to repay $48,000 for falsely claiming to have installed 11 solar systems.

Ex-Shine Tech Solar Pty Ltd director Gavin Brady pleaded guilty in a Victorian Magistrate’s court on Wednesday to five offences of dishonesty under the Commonwealth Criminal Code.

Mr Brady was an accredited solar photovoltaic installer at the time of offending, which was between October 2020 and April 2021, the federal government’s Clean Energy Regulator said.

According to Australia’s Business Register, Shine Tech Solar Pty Ltd’s main business location was in Bentley between October 2015 and November 2019 but was moved to Welshpool until September 2020.

Shine was then relocated to Victoria before the ABN was cancelled in February 2022.

An investigation conducted by the Clean Energy Regulator, which led to Mr Brady’s conviction, found he had submitted 11 false ‘small-scale technology certificate’ forms that allowed him to claim $50,000 from the regulator for solar systems that were never installed.

The forms are required to claim under the regulator’s ‘small-scale renewable energy scheme’, a financial incentive overseen by the Clean Energy Regulator for individuals and small businesses to install eligible small-scale renewable energy systems.

Clean Energy Regulator acting general manager of compliance Thomas Stoddart said the organisation had zero tolerance for wilful fraud.

“Installers who attempt to benefit from making false statements regarding STC eligibility – whether they haven’t been on site for the installation, or the installation simply doesn’t exist – will get caught,” he said.

“As this case shows, this practice runs the risk of prosecution, a criminal conviction and the loss of livelihood through accreditation suspension.”

Mr Brady has since had his accreditation suspended and has been ordered to pay $48,528 to the renewable energy certificate agent by the magistrate.

He will also be required to complete 300 hours of unpaid community work within two years.