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Getting your new solar system connected

• Factsheet

May 5, 2024

Connecting to the grid: the basics

Most solar installations connect to the electric grid. The process of connecting the two is called interconnection. 

Interconnection ensures that you will always have electricity. This is true even when your solar system isn’t generating electricity. It also ensures that your system can send excess electricity back to the grid. Through net metering, solar owners receive credit for supplying this electricity.

The interconnect process and timeline

The interconnection process starts when your installer submits an application to connect to the grid. It ends once you are able to switch on your system.

Your solar installer will work with your utility to connect your system. It requires several steps:

1. Your installer submits an application to your utility. This happens before your system is installed.
2. Your utility reviews the application. 
3. Once approved, the installer puts in your new system.
4. Your city or county will inspect your system for safety and approve it for use.
5. Your utility will send a representative out to put in a new electric meter or reprogram the existing one. 
6. Then, the utility will grant you permission to turn on your solar system.

The interconnection process, on average, takes 90 business days. This will vary by utility. Some states have laws requiring specific timelines for completion. Your interconnection agreement paperwork should state this clearly. These laws prevent utilities from unnecessarily dragging their feet on approving your system.

How the utility reviews your application

Your utility will review the application your installer submits. They’ll assess how your system might impact the local electric grid. If they determine that the system will harm grid performance, they may ask you to make your installation smaller. 

In rare cases, the utility will request that you upgrade grid equipment before it’s installed. They’re much more likely to make this request for commercial solar installations.

If the utility requests upgrades, they’ll determine the approximate costs. They’ll also relay who must pay for the upgrades. A homeowner may be liable for a portion of these costs, but most states limit what the utility can charge. 

In many areas, the standard for who pays is the “last person in the door.” This means that the project that triggered the need for an upgrade must pay the upgrade costs. This applies to equipment shared by multiple customers.

When utilities request upgrades for residential solar

Most residential installation installations are Level 1 interconnections. These are the simplest installations. They usually cover systems up to 10kW or 20kW. In most cases, a utility will not require equipment upgrades for Level 1 interconnections.

When utilities do request upgrades of residential solar installations, they often justify them for safety reasons. Solar’s popularity continues to grow. This will place more electricity onto the grid. This may require upgrades to the distribution system when an area achieves a high density of local solar energy production. 

We’re seeing utilities place greater scrutiny than they used to on residential applications. Utilities claim that certain neighborhoods or regions have already hit maximum capacity. They say that further upgrade work is needed to the local distribution network.

There are two common reasons why utilities will delay interconnection approval:

1. They require you to upgrade the cables connecting your home to the closest electric pole. This upgrade costs between $2,000 to $5,000. Your utility will ask for this if they believe the existing cables are not designed to handle additional loads to and from the household.
2. They require an upgrade to the existing distribution system in the neighborhood. Utilities may justify these upgrade charges on the basis that the local utility system equipment will not be able to cope with any surplus electricity supplied back to the grid by a solar array.

What to do if your utility adds connection costs

When your utility marks your system for further review or gives pushback during the interconnection approval process, it places it under Field Verification Status.

The utility takes this time to evaluate:

• The scope of the project,
• Required upgrades required, and
• Approximate costs.

If your utility rejects your application unless you pay for upgrades, we recommend your installer contact the utility directly.

Your utility will present their findings in an official cost letter.

Your utility should provide you and your installer with transparent data about:

• circuit hosting capacity,
• current load status, and
• information about any pending or planned upgrades

This data will help your installer determine whether the charges or assessments made by the utility are justified.

When and how to file a complaint

If your utility takes more than two weeks to respond or leaves you in Field Verification Status for a prolonged period, you are losing out on solar’s benefits. 

You should take the following two steps:

1. File an individual complaint on the utility’s customer service page on their website.

2. File a complaint with your state utility regulator.

Each state has a government body that is responsible for regulating utilities. Their name varies by state. They may go by “public service commission” or “public utilities commission”. They approve the rates that utilities can charge customers. Their job is to ensure that utility regulations serve the public interest.

These regulators also serve as intermediaries between customers and utilities in potential disputes. They are the agencies to reach out to about disputes or issues with utilities.

Below we have provided contact information for utility regulators across the country.