How solar actually gets connected to the grid
Most people never think about this, and mostly they are right not to. Your installer handles it, and for a standard residential system it is close to a formality.
It is worth understanding for two reasons. It is the step that can delay you. And it is where your export limit gets set, which is the one number that constrains what your system is allowed to do.
The two parties you are dealing with
| Your retailer | Your distributor | |
|---|---|---|
| What they are | Who you pay for power | The lines company that owns the poles and wires between the network and your house |
| For example | Contact, Meridian, Genesis, Octopus, Electric Kiwi | Vector in Auckland, Orion in Christchurch, WEL Networks in Hamilton |
| What they decide | Your buyback rate — what you get paid for exporting | Whether and how much you may export, and your export limit |
| Can you change them? | Yes, whenever you like | No — they are determined by where you live |
The application
- 01
We apply on your behalf
You do not contact your lines company. The application covers your address, the inverter make and model, the array size and how the system will be configured.
- 02
The distributor assesses it
For straightforward small systems this is a check against a standard rather than a bespoke engineering study.
- 03
They approve, with an export limit attached
Since 11 May 2026 that will normally be 10kW, or a dynamic limit with a 10kW floor when your export is not being actively controlled during congestion. A lower limit is possible, but it has to be justified.
- 04
We install once approval is in place
Installing first and applying later is how people end up with a system they are not permitted to run at full output.
- 05
Your meter is configured
Exporting requires a meter that measures both directions. Most modern smart meters do this already. If yours does not, your retailer arranges a change.
Sources: Electricity Authority.
Non-standard equipment
Inverters must comply with AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 including amendments 1 and 2. Grey-import equipment that is not on the approved list will not be accepted, whatever it cost.
A constrained part of the network
Some pockets of some networks have a lot of solar already. This is where a lower export limit or a longer assessment shows up.
Three-phase and larger sites
More capable, and a different assessment.
Systems above 10kW
These fall outside the simplified process and go through a fuller application, with the limit set by a bespoke assessment rather than a default.
Council consent
Separate from the network connection entirely, and still required in most districts for most installs. Both major parties have proposed removing it for solar. Neither has.
We check your distributor before we quote
So the export limit is a known number rather than a surprise after installation. We do not book an install date until approval is in hand.
If your export limit comes back lower than expected
- 1
Ask for the assessment
The distributor now has to justify a sub-10kW limit through a standardised methodology, so there is something to ask about.
- 2
Consider a dynamic limit if the distributor offers one
A dynamic arrangement often produces a better average result than a low fixed cap.
- 3
Size for self-consumption instead
If you cannot export much, the value moves to using more of it yourself. That points towards load shifting, hot water timing, and possibly storage.
- 4
Install anyway, at the right size
A constrained export limit reduces the value of a large system. It does not eliminate the value of a sensible one.
It is not necessarily the end of the system. More detail on the simplified route for small systems sits on the Part 1A page.
Common questions
General information about network connection. Not engineering advice. Connection requirements, timeframes, fees and export limits are set by your local lines company, vary by network and address, and change without notice. Confirmed in your tailored quote.
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