Distribution Network Service Provider (DNSP)

Written and checked by the Energy Merchants desk · Reviewed 3 October 2026

A DNSP, or distribution network service provider, is the company that owns and maintains the local electricity network in an area. It is not usually the company that sends the customer’s bill. That is the retailer.

What it does for installers

When a customer adds solar or a battery, the DNSP assesses whether the local network can take the extra generation. It approves the connection, sets the technical conditions and can limit how much the system may export. Which DNSP applies depends on the property’s address, and the customer’s NMI links the site to the network record.

In practice

A connection application is lodged before or soon after installation, depending on the network and the system size. Larger systems and those near the edge of a weak part of the network take longer and may be required to have an export limit. Many networks have an online portal for applications.

Delays here are among the most common reasons a job is finished on the roof and not yet switched on. The DNSP’s approval and the compliance certificate together support the commissioning step. See commissioning date.

Worked example

A customer in suburban Melbourne wants 10 kW of solar. The local DNSP approves 5 kW export and requires the inverter to be set to that limit. The customer still gets STCs on the full panel capacity, because STCs are deemed on the rated panel output and not on the export. See inverter oversizing.

Common confusion

The DNSP is not the retailer and not the regulator. The retailer buys and sells energy. The Clean Energy Regulator runs the STC scheme. The DNSP runs the wires.

More terms are in the glossary.