Resource Library

This 1.5 page extract from HECO Rule 14 describes the insurance customers must carry to interconnect DG systems. The customer may self insure or obtain a policy from an insurance company. Minimum amounts for liability are not specified; the rules simply require "insurance that will adequately protect the Customer and the Company with respect to risks arising under this Agreement." The second hyperlink is a 1.5 page extract from an appendix to Rule 14, which provides an explanation of the insurance requirement in plain language.

This 4 page extract of HECO's Rule 14 describes the process for dispute resolution.

This document describes a set of technical screens used by HECO to determine whether a system qualifies for simplified interconnection. It contains a description of each of the 9 technical screens and a visual flow chart describing the process via yes/no steps. This process, called "Initial Technical Review," comes from HECO Rule 14. If the screens are not passed, a Supplemental Review or an interconnection Requirement Study is conducted.

A guide for local governments that gives an overview of the best practices for interconnection Standards. Page 83 addresses individual system capacity limits.

A page taken from the IREC 2009 Model interconnection Procedures, that details insurance requirements a utility may require (Page 15).

interconnection eligibility comparison across standards

As per the administrative rules laid out by the Oregon Public Utilities Commision's Order No. 09-196 There are four tiers of review for small generating facilities, based on system capacity: 25 kW, 2 MW, non-exporting systems up to 10 MW, and other systems. Application fees are differentiated, based on tier. The maximum application fee is $100 for Tier 1, $500 for Tier 2, and $1000 for Tiers 3 and 4. There may be additional costs if an evaluation is required, but the applicant must agree to this cost prior to the evaluation being conducted.

Under the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission's interconnection standards, application fees are limited to $100 for systems up to 25 kW, and $500 for systems greater than 25 kW but not greater than 300 kW. The UTC's rules include provisions for dispute resolution.

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio website features energy consumer resources, including this brief guide to interconnection, siting, and selling power for customer-owned wind power systems.

SB 943 relates to the classification, use, and regulation of electric energy storage equipment or facilities when transacting in the wholesale market. The bill provides administrative rules for registering certain assets of energy storage equipments, and most importantly, it clarifies that energy storage is afforded all the same interconnection rights as any other generation asset that is allowed to interconnect, obtain transmission service, and participate in electricity markets.

This document discusses standard interconnection rules for distributed generation systems.

Comparison Insurance Requirements across standards

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission has adopted interconnection standards for distributed generation (DG) systems up to 20 megawatts (MW) in capacity which provide for three separate levels of interconnection based on system capacity and other requirements. Publicly owned utilities, which are not regulated in Oregon or Washington, are free to set their own interconnection standards. However, many have adopted standards similar to the ones developed by regulators.

IEEE 1547 Interpretation on interconnection

The IREC Model interconnection Procedures report captures best practices in utility interconnection nationwide. This 5 page excerpt of the report describes the technical screens that a system must pass to qualify for the level 1 interconnection process, an expedited review process for qualifying systems under 25kW. This section also describes the procedures involved in the level 1 process. The Interstate Renewable Energy Council is a non-profit corporation that works for the advancement of renewable energy with a focus on national energy policies and utility and industry standards and best practices.

The IREC Model interconnection Procedures report captures best practices in utility interconnection nationwide. The download button below contains the model interconnection form from the report. This application form is designed for qualifying inverter based systems under 25kW. It contains a 2 page application/agreement form and a 2 page terms and conditions list. The Interstate Renewable Energy Council is a non-profit corporation that works for the advancement of renewable energy with a focus on national energy policies and utility and industry standards and best practices.

Page 3 of this excerpt reviews current practices regarding liability insurance.

Best Practices for Net Metering System Capacity Limit

An excerpt from the Interstate Renewable Energy Council's 2013 model interconnection procedures, providing guidance on requirements for customer insurance

An excerpt from the Interstate Renewable Energy Council's 2013 model interconnection procedures, providing guidance on dispute resolution

An excerpt from the Interstate Renewable Energy Council's 2013 model interconnection procedures, providing guidance on requirements for external disconnect switches

A 4 page excerpt that Summarizes the commonalities of the 4 Model procedures CA Rule 21, SGIP, MADRI, and IREC for interconnection and specifically addresses system size limit.

A permit application form that can be used for PV systems meeting the following criteria: under 14kW, grid-tied, string inverters. Contains the key information needed for plan review and permit. The forms are fillable PDFs which can be completed and saved electronically. The first download is for systems using standard load side interconnections, the second is for supply side connections. At the source below is a full report describing how the forms were developed and providing detailed instructions on how to fill them out.

This is a 4 page excerpt from the NSTAR Electric interconnection Standards document. It describes the dispute resolution procedure, which is a multi-stage process beginning with good faith negotiation, then mediation, followed by non-binding arbitration and then adjudication.

The City of Palo Alto has a dedicated webpage for solar information. The page contains links for both residential and commercial inspection checklists in addition to detailing permit submittals and providing information on rebates, net metering, and interconnection. The first hyperlink below displays the residential checklist and the second is the commercial checklist. Click the source link below to visit Palo Alto's page directly, where you'll find extensive additional info.