Tips and advice for application process
Save yourself time by following PG&E’s tips for seasoned professionals. Taking the necessary steps detailed below will help you get faster approval for the Agreement and Customer Authorization (A&A) formand Interconnection Applicationand achieve an easier path through the engineering review.
Note:
- Never turn on the solar or renewable system before receiving permission to operate from PG&E. Doing so is against Electric Rule 21 guidelines.
Advice for the Agreement and Customer Authorization (A&A) Form
Asking your customer for a few, critical pieces of information will allow you to complete this form more quickly.
Request the customer's email address
You will need an email address for the electronic signature on the A&A form, as well as for faster customer notification when permission to operate is granted.
Double-check that names and critical account information are entered correctly
- Ask for a copy of the customer's PG&E statement, which contains important information necessary to fill out the form, including the customer’s name, service address, service agreement ID and meter ID.
- Be sure to list your complete company name on the form as it is registered with the California State License Board (CSLB).
Make sure your customer is aware of the rate-schedule options
- Make your customers aware of the rate-schedule options so that they may evaluate what is most beneficial to them. Visit pge.com/rateoptions.
- The PG&E online interconnection tool has a drop-down menu that only lists rate schedules applicable to your customer.
Important Note: A customer may elect to remain on a closed rate schedule (e.g., E7, E8). However, if the customer moves to a different rate schedule, it will not be possible to return to the closed rate schedule in the future.
View the customer's previous 12 months of electric usage
- A customer can provide you with usage information by logging into his/her PG&E account and using the green button feature: Visit pge.com/greenbutton.
- If 12 months of usage data is not available, you may provide the square footage of the building instead.
Note: Information will be automatically populated when using online interconnection tool.
Complete the A&A form via PDF, if you prefer
If you are downloading the PDF instead of entering directly into the online application tool, please follow these steps:
- Download and fill out the interactive PDF forms using your computer, not with pen or pencil.
- Upload the completed forms to the PG&E online interconnection tool for verification.
- Choose a signature option:
1) Use the PG&E DocuSign electronic signature functionality and route it electronically to the customer
2) Upload a wet signature or your own electronic signature by an authorized party. (Please note, if you are uploading a document, it must include the full 5 pages of the agreement). Both signature paths can be submitted using PG&E's online interconnection tool.
Remember to obtain the customer's authorization and signature
- A customer must explicitly authorize you, as a contractor, to apply for interconnection on his/her behalf.
- For electronic signatures, use the DocuSign functionality embedded within PG&E's online interconnection tool for faster processing time.
- If downloading the fillable PDF, you will need to upload the form to the PG&E online interconnection tool for validation. However, you can still use the DocuSign (electronic signature functionality) embedded within PG&E’s online interconnection tool to obtain a Customer signature.
Tips for the Interconnection Application
- For accuracy, double-check the electric service agreement ID and meter numbers using a recent customer statement.
- Make sure the system size installed and listed on the Interconnection Application is less than or equal to the size you indicated on the A&A form.
- Include a copy of the final building permit/inspection certificate that clearly indicates that final inspection for the solar or renewable installation has been performed.
- We strongly recommend that installers and contractors use equipment on the California Energy Commission (CEC) list of accepted equipment. Doing so can save you time during the engineering review process. Only CEC and PG&E approved equipment appears in the drop-down list on our online Interconnection Application. Unlisted equipment requires additional documentation (PDF, 136 KB).
Insight on the Engineering Review
Follow these tips to help avoid the need for a variance request. For more information about the engineering review process and what might necessitate additional review and/or system upgrades, see the Electric Rule 21 Engineering Decision Tree (PDF, 516 KB).
Note: A variance request may still be required after following these steps depending on your project's details.
- Use standard equipment from the CEC List of Authorized Equipment.
- We strongly recommend that installers and contractors use equipment on the California Energy Commission (CEC) list of accepted equipment. Doing so can save you time during the engineering review process. Only CEC and PG&E approved equipment appears in the drop-down list on our online Interconnection Application. Unlisted equipment requires additional documentation (PDF, 136 KB).
- Make sure the point of interconnection is below the main breaker on the customer load side.
- Check to confirm that your system is either three phase or single phase. An engineering review will be prompted by putting a three-phase system on a single-phase service, or a single-phase system greater than 20 percent of the transformer nameplate or 20 kilowatt (kW) on a three-phase service.
- Check to confirm the project is a 240 volt-connected service. A 120 volt-connected service will require an additional engineering review.
- Do not install more than one AC disconnect, and ensure it is no more than 10 feet from the service panel. (See AC Disconnect and Variance Logic (PDF, 481 KB)).