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Roles and Responsibilities During Interconnection
Connecting your home's solar panel system to our electric grid is a process called interconnection
Understanding Interconnection
Most residential solar installations in our territory operate connected to our electric delivery system. This setup allows you to sell excess energy back to the grid when your system produces more than you use, and to purchase energy from the grid when you need it.
The process of safely connecting your home solar panel system to the grid is specialized and requires working with a licensed and qualified solar installer to complete your application and construction.
Your installer is required to follow state regulations and detailed technical guidelines.
What you handle
Your main responsibility in this process is weighing the pros and cons of installing solar panels on your property, and then picking a solar installer to guide you through the process. We recommend getting quotes from multiple installers before entering into a contract.
Once you've settled on the system you want and which installer you want to work with, they'll engage us to begin the process of applying for interconnection.
What we handle
To connect a home solar installation to our grid, we need to first review and approve the project to make sure that the existing electric grid would continue to function safely and efficiently with the addition of new generation. Most of the existing New England power grid was not built with solar in mind, so we need to make sure the system in your area can handle the additional generation load your solar would feed back into it.
We'll do this by reviewing your application to interconnect, which in most cases is submitted by your solar installer.
Once the project is built and ready to interconnect, we'll also exchange your existing utility meter for a solar net meter.
What your contractor handles
Once you've selected a solar contractor, they will handle most of the remaining tasks during setup and construction of your system and guide you through the process. This is why it's so important to work with a reputable installer you trust.
Tasks they'll handle include:
- Designing a system to fit your needs
- Applying for interconnection
- Constructing the system
- Final document submission, including an inspection from your municipality
Once the System is Up and Running
When your solar installation is turned on, your bill will be updated to reflect the solar tariff. For most residential customers, your bill reflect how much electricity you pull from the grid, how much excess solar production you export to the grid, and then either credits you or bills you for the difference.
This process is handled by us and will happen automatically, but it's still important for you to understand how it works and what to expect.
Ready to Install?
If solar sounds right for your home, we're here to help you through the installation and interconnection process.