How Austin Energy credits home solar

Limits and eligibility

• The Value of Solar Rider applies to accounts with an on site solar system of less than 10,000 kW AC, measured at the inverter output and connected behind the meter to Austin Energy's distribution system, excluding transmission voltage and lighting accounts.
• Systems under 25 kW AC that are not on the downtown network use a streamlined process, while systems of 25 kW AC or more, counting solar and battery output, get an Austin Energy planning and transformer capacity review, and an application is denied if all generation on the transformer would exceed 90 percent of its rating unless the system is downsized or the transformer is upgraded at the customer's expense.
• Third party power purchase agreements are not allowed for residential customers, and a leased system is accepted only if the lease payment covers the equipment alone and does not depend on the energy produced.
• Austin Energy recommends sizing a system to meet the home's annual energy use, warns that a larger system may produce credits that cannot be used or cashed out, and may require export limiting case by case when a system is larger than the grid equipment can handle.

How a home gets connected

1. The contractor applies for a Residential Auxiliary Power Electrical Permit in the City of Austin's Austin Build + Connect portal and uploads a Distributed Generation Planning Application, a wiring diagram and a Residential Interconnection Agreement signed by the customer.
2. Austin Development Services reviews the application, Austin Energy staff review and approve the interconnection agreement before the permit is activated, and systems of 25 kW AC or more or with batteries receive added Austin Energy reviews.
3. Installation may begin once the permit is Active, and ground mounted systems or solar shingles inside Austin city limits also need residential plan review and a building permit.
4. After installation, and after any related permits are final, the contractor requests a final solar inspection in the portal, and Austin Energy must pass the system before it can be turned on.
5. Austin Energy then installs a solar meter in addition to the existing revenue meter, typically within 5 to 10 business days of the passed inspection, and updates the permit to Final, at which point the customer has permission to operate.