Grid connection application

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

A grid connection application is the formal request to the local network operator, the DNSP, to connect a solar or battery system to its network. The operator checks that the connection will not cause voltage, safety or capacity problems, then approves it, sets conditions or declines.

For most households with a small system the process is quick, often an online form with the approval coming back within days. Larger systems and weak parts of the network take longer and may involve a network study.

What the application usually includes

• Customer, address and NMI, the meter identifier.
• Inverter and battery models, ratings and the standards they meet.
• Total capacity, planned export limit and the intended inverter settings.
• A single-line diagram for larger systems.

In practice

Lodge the application before you install, not after. Some networks will not allow a system to be energised without approval, and an installed system that cannot be switched on delays the customer and your paperwork. Keep the approval, since it lists the conditions you commissioned to, such as an export cap or a regional setting under AS/NZS 4777.2.

If the network approves a smaller export limit than you designed for, tell the customer straight away. It changes the economics, and in some areas it brings in a flexible limit. See dynamic operating envelope.

For the certificate claim, the network approval is not usually a required photo, but the details need to be consistent. Capacity on the application, the invoice and the claim should agree. Inconsistent figures draw questions in review. See top STC claim rejection reasons.

Common confusion

A grid connection application is not the same as a retail account change. It deals with the physical connection, not who sells the electricity. It is also separate from the paperwork for a battery incentive or a VPP sign-up.

An approval does not mean the system is eligible for certificates. That depends on the product and installer rules, which the Clean Energy Regulator sets.

See STC trading, /resources/ and the glossary.