Solar and battery connections
If you choose to install solar or battery generation at your home or office, your solar installer will apply to Evoenergy for approval before it can be connected. All installations must comply with Evoenergy’s Service and Installation Rules and Embedded Generation requirements.
On this page, you will find information about:
Applying for solar
Application fees
Getting power with solar
Exporting solar power
Maintaining your system
Solar tariffs
Applying for solar
Your solar installer will apply to Evoenergy on your behalf by submitting a Special Connection Request (SCR). Check your installer is accredited with the Clean Energy Council and ask them to provide you with a copy of the Evoenergy approval letter before installation begins.
Some solar installations will also require a meter upgrade. Your installer or energy retailer can assist with this process.
When an installer applies for your solar, Evoenergy must collect information like:
Panel, inverter and battery quantities manufacturer and model number
Modes of operation, such as if battery systems are islandable, or if solar is a gross or net metered
Information about any removed or existing equipment
Export limits and other inverter settings
Non-inverter generator information.
Evoenergy is obliged to provide the locations and specifications of a range of small-grid connected systems to the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), including:
Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, whether on the building or the ground
Battery Energy Storage Systems
Small wind turbines
Small hydro-electric turbines
Other renewable energy generating systems
Gas turbines
Diesel or petrol generators (grid-connected)
Electric vehicles configured with Vehicle-to-Home/Vehicle-to-Grid capability.
This information assists AEMO to integrate these systems safely and effectively into the electricity grid and market. The coordination of these resources is vital in helping energy consumers to optimise their financial benefit and allow the electricity grid to efficiently manage the two-way power flow.
Having this information also enables us to plan and operate the electricity network grid more efficiently, ensuring the system and market can deliver energy at an efficient price for all customers.
Application fees
Solar power is becoming more popular in the ACT, with complex solar applications now making up around 60% of applications received by Evoenergy. As solar installation prices fall, Canberrans are installing larger systems and battery storage. Canberrans with existing solar are also choosing to upgrade their systems by installing more panels or adding on storage.
For complex residential embedded generation applications – those with a battery, export limit, or additional capacity to an existing system – a processing fee of $258.90 (GST inclusive) will be introduced from 10 March 2023. This fee will need to be paid to Evoenergy by your installer when they submit the application for your new system.
Non-complex residential solar applications will not incur this additional fee. These are solar systems that do not include a battery, do not require an export limit (5kvA or less single phase or less three phase) or are considered like for like replacements where capacity is not increasing.
Getting power with solar
During the day, when the sun is shining, your solar panels produce and supply electricity into Evoenergy's distribution network.
Your house is supplied from Evoenergy's distribution network during the day and at night when the sun is no longer shining. Batteries usually charge directly from solar generated on site, but some batteries can also be set up to charge late at night when electricity prices may be cheaper (depending on the arrangements with your retailer).
If you have signed up for "green energy" with your chosen retailer, then the percentage of your energy you have nominated to make ‘green’ is accessed only from the renewable energy in the network (for example, solar and wind power).
Exporting solar power
If you have a gross metered system, all the energy your panels produce will be fed directly into the electricity network, and you will receive a feed-in-rate as arranged with your retailer.
Gross metered systems can export the full rating of the system. All new residential solar and battery systems are connected under a net metering arrangement. This means that any solar generated will first have an opportunity to be used on site, such as by lighting, heating or other electrical appliances. Only excess produced energy will be fed back to the electricity network.
Export limits apply to all residential solar systems to ensure you and your neighbours have a safe and reliable supply of electricity. The export limit for residential micro embedded generation systems is currently 5kVA per phase. If you have a single-phase connection, and a 7kVA solar inverter, this means you can only export 5kVA into Evoenergy’s distribution network at any given time. Your solar inverter will have its own meter to determine when more or less power can be produced.
To minimise the impact of export limits on your solar generation, please speak to your installer about inverter arrangements, battery storage options, or upgrading to three-phase power. Using power during the day or timing your appliances to run during the day can also minimise the impact on export limits by using more of your generated solar power.
Battery systems are typically set up to only use the stored power to support local loads. Battery storage systems may also be part of a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) and can be called on to export power to Evoenergy’s distribution network when electricity demand is high.
Solar and power outages
Anti-islanding is a safety mechanism built into solar and battery systems to ensure the system disconnects from our network during an electricity outage. This protects people performing works on the network, and network infrastructure during an outage.
If you have a solar system with no battery, it will turn off during an electricity outage and reconnect automatically once power is back on.
If you do have a battery installed, it may be able to provide part of your premises with a backup electricity supply during an outage. To do this safely it must first disconnect from the Evoenergy network. These systems are generally not set up as an uninterruptible power supply system (UPS), and there will be a brief outage when the system disconnects from, and then later reconnects to our network. Not all battery systems can offer this, so make sure you discuss your options with your battery installer.
You are also required to have an easy point-of-access to your solar and/or battery system so it can be disconnected in an emergency. This could be at an outdoor inverter in an accessible location, switch in your meter box, or a stand-alone isolator.
Maintaining your system
Like all electrical equipment, regular maintenance of your entire solar system is important. By carrying out regular routine maintenance, you can ensure your solar panel system is safe for everyone living in the premises, along with your neighbours and electrical workers working on the distribution network.
You are required to have your installation tested every five years to check it remains safely connected to Evoenergy’s electricity network. Evoenergy will send you a reminder when this testing is due, however more regular and routine maintenance will also ensure your entire system performance is maintained. This will allow you to maximise savings on your power bills. While Evoenergy is not responsible for the maintenance and servicing of your system, you can read our Solar Safety fact sheet for some general tips and information you may wish to consider.
If any components of your solar system require replacing, the installer will need to submit a new Special Connection Request (SCR) to Evoenergy an receive approval prior to completing the work. Your installer or any licenced electrician can complete this testing. A copy of the current test form, testing procedure and more information is in our frequently asked questions.
For information about solar safety, read our solar safety fact sheet.
Solar tariffs
You can find the details of solar tariff arrangements by contacting your chosen electricity retailer.
The ACT Government Premium Feed-in Scheme closed to new applicants in 2011. Tariffs agreed to under this scheme last for 20 years. If you live in a home with a solar system connected under this Scheme, please refer to our frequently asked questions for more information.
More information
For information about installing solar at your house or business, visit:
The Clean Energy Regulator – the Commonwealth Government body who administers the Renewable Energy Target.
The Clean Energy Council – the peak body for the clean energy industry.
Energy.gov.au – The Commonwealth Governments information site on energy supply.