For residential manufacturers & importers
Three certificate schemes fund a residential heat pump water heater
A registered residential HPWH can earn STCs nationally (SRES), VEECs in Victoria (VEU Activity 1D/3C), and ESCs in NSW (ESS HEER Activity D17/D19). Enter an installation postcode and a registered model below to see the certificates it actually earns.
How SRES, VEU and ESS work for residential HPWHs
A product modelled once under AS/NZS 4234 can register for all three schemes. Each pays a different certificate, calculated from its own formula and its own postcode zone map, so the same installation earns a different count under each scheme.
SRES — STCs
Federal scheme, all of Australia. STC entitlement is set at registration and declines each year toward the scheme's 31 December 2030 end date. Limited to insulated storage under 425 L.
VEU — VEECs
Victorian scheme. Activity 1D (replacing electric) and Activity 3C (replacing gas), administered by the Essential Services Commission.
ESS — ESCs
NSW scheme. HEER Activity D17 (replacing electric) and D19 (replacing gas), administered by IPART through TESSA.
Real registered systems
Enter an installation postcode, pick a registered brand and model, and choose what it replaces. Certificates are computed from that model's actual published register data — STC zone rating and VEU/ESS modelling outputs — not a general estimate.
Household size is assumed medium (VEU 1D/3C and ESS D17/D19 medium-load factors).
STCs are computed from the CER register's zone rating, scaled to the remaining SRES deeming period (scheme ends 31 December 2030). VEECs use VEU Specifications 2018 v23.0 (Activity 1D/3C, medium household). ESCs use ESS Rule 2009, effective 12 September 2025 (Activity D17/D19, medium household), with the Table A24 Regional Network Factor applied by postcode.
They are an estimate for business-case purposes only — a lodged certificate claim depends on the specific installation, household size, eligibility at the time of creation, and the scheme rules then in force.
For commercial & industrial manufacturers
A 10–200 kW commercial heat pump water heater has its own VEU Activity 44 / ESS Schedule F business case, worth tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars per system.
The commercial opportunity →From product to certificates
Test
Heat pump and tank performance tested to AS/NZS 5125.1 and AS/NZS 4692.1.
Model
AS/NZS 4234 TRNSYS modelling (2008 for SRES, 2021 for VEU/ESS) finds the STC rating and Bs/Be outputs.
Register
Product registered on the CER, VEU and TESSA registers.
Create
Each installation creates certificates by postcode and scenario, sold into the certificate market.
EnergyAE handles the full path: testing and certification support, AS/NZS 4234 modelling, and CER/VEU/ESS registration. See our incentive schemes service for the end-to-end offering.
Read more about the residential schemes
Our guides cover how to register a residential HPWH for each scheme in detail.
Registering a residential HPWH for STCs
How to add a product to the CER Register of Solar Water Heaters and Air Source Heat Pumps.
Read the guide →Registering a residential HPWH for VEECs
How to register under VEU Activity 1D (replace electric) and 3C (replace gas).
Read the guide →Registering a residential HPWH for ESCs
How to gain ESS HEER product acceptance under Activity D17 and D19 through TESSA.
Read the guide →See all technical guides.
See what your product is worth
Use the explorer above for real certificate counts, or talk to us about modelling and registering your residential heat pump for SRES, VEU and ESS.