Back in October, we introduced Victoria's exciting new deemed VEECs rebate - a game-changer for commercial and industrial solar projects. This update to the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) program allows eligible projects to generate VEECs upfront, rather than waiting years through the traditional Measurement & Verification process.
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Since then, we've been working with industry experts to build this capability directly into Orkestra Plan, giving you everything you need to model and capture this benefit for your customers.
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But understanding when and how to use it matters. Not every project is eligible, and choosing between deemed and M&V methods can significantly impact your project economics.
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Our Customer Success Manager Andie sat down with Madonna Ghajar from Northmore Gordon - Victoria's leading experts in energy certificates - to break down:

• What the deemed method is and how it differs from M&V
• Which projects qualify (equipment, system size, and NMI requirements)
• When deemed VEECs make financial sense vs. M&V
• How to stack STCs, LGCs, and VEECs for maximum project value
• Installer compliance and onboarding requirements

Watch the full conversation below, then read on to see how this works in Orkestra Plan.

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Understanding Deemed VEECs - What’s Changed?

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The traditional M&V method was performance-based, and Victorian projects couldn't claim both STCs and VEECs simultaneously.

Now with deemed VEECs, you can stack:

• STCs (Small-scale Technology Certificates)
• LGCs (Large-scale Generation Certificates)
• VEECs (Victorian Energy Efficiency Certificates)
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Depending on system size and project requirements, this stacking can significantly improve project economics. Plus, you receive the rebate as soon as the site is energised - meaning faster ROI for your customers.

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The Financial Benefit

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VEECs have been trading around $80 per certificate, making them a substantial value-add when combined with national schemes.

The key is optimisation. Every project is different, and the best combination of certificates depends on system size, location, and customer requirements. 
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With Orkestra Plan, you can model multiple certificate scenarios side-by-side to identify the highest-value approach for each project. 

Once you've determined feasibility, Northmore Gordon can provide firm quotes to lock in those numbers.

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Getting Started with Feasibility

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Project Eligibility Criteria

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To qualify for deemed VEECs, projects must meet specific criteria:

• Approved equipment on the VEU register
• One system per NMI (National Metering Identifier)
• Minimum 30kVA inverter capacity
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Feasibility First: Model Before You Commit

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When planning your next C&I project, start by exploring what's possible. With Orkestra Plan, you can model different system configurations and test various incentive combinations, including deemed VEECs, STCs, and LGCs, to understand which approach delivers the strongest financial outcome.
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This feasibility-first process lets you confidently determine the optimal setup before moving forward with applications.

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Modelling in Orkestra Plan

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We've built deemed VEECs directly into Plan's modelling workflow. 

Orkestra enables you to:

• Instantly see the impact of Deemed VEECs on project economics
• Compare scenarios with and without certificate stacking
• Use regularly updated certificate values to support feasibility first decision making
• Use up to date certificate values for more accurate feasibility analysis

To showcase how this works in practice, we had one of our key engineers behind the feature, Jai Hashim, walk us through exactly how you can apply deemed VEECs and other incentives to your project modelling.  

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You can find these options in the 'Incentives' setup when applying a solar scenario. We've split VEECs into two options: 'VEECs Deemed' and 'VEECs M&V', making it easy to model both approaches.
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When both methods are applicable, you can toggle them on and adjust the details to fit your specific project. 

Even better news? We do the heavy lifting for you in understanding where this can be applied - simply toggle on what you like and we’ll make sure it is applied accurately.

Finalising Your Project

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Once you've modelled your project in Orkestra and identified the optimal system and incentive combination, it's time to move from feasibility to application and ensure your project and team can claim the VEECs incentives. 
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This is where Northmore Gordon comes in. As one of Victoria's leading energy certificate experts, they'll help you confirm your certificate values and guide you through the application process for deemed VEECs and other incentives. They can also assist with getting your company accredited to meet the VEU requirements.
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To get started with Northmore Gordon:

1. Complete their onboarding questionnaire via the Bridge Select portal
2. Installer accreditation training to meet VEU requirements
3. Guided training session with Northmore Gordon for your team

This ensures your installers meet the VEU program's compliance requirements and you can confidently claim the full dollar value of these rebates.
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About Northmore Gordon

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Northmore Gordon works across all national and state-based certificate schemes, not just VEECs. They're an advanced M&V provider and offer energy and carbon consulting to help minimise client energy consumption and costs.

As Orkestra users themselves, they understand the importance of feasibility-first decision making and can support certificate requirements for projects of any scale.

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The Opportunity Is Now

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Victorian C&I solar and battery projects have never looked better. With deemed VEECs, you can stack incentives, accelerate payback periods, and deliver significantly stronger returns to your customers. When you're ready to execute on certificates, Northmore Gordon brings the expertise to make it happen.
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Why put in the effort? When it comes to C&I solar and battery projects, getting the financials right really matters. 

Accurate modelling and clear financial reporting turn potential projects into genuinely compelling business opportunities - which means optimising across every available revenue stream: certificates, demand response, energy arbitrage, and beyond. 
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Orkestra Plan gives you the power to model these combinations, test different configurations, and identify what delivers the strongest outcome for each customer.
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Ready to explore what's possible for your next Victorian C&I Solar project?

• For certificate applications and expertise: Madonna at m.ghajar@northmoregordon.com
• For modelling support: Andie at andie.dertouzos@orkestra.energy or via platform support

Happy modelling!

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