Interconnection

What interconnection is

Your solar system does not run in isolation: it connects to the same grid you draw power from and sends surplus back into it. The utility needs to know what equipment you are installing, which inverter you use, how many kW it has, and that it meets safety rules (for example, that it shuts down when the grid goes down so it cannot injure a line worker). All of that goes into the interconnection application.

The installer handles the paperwork, but you sign the agreement as the utility’s customer. That agreement sets the net metering terms that apply to you.

Why it matters in Florida

FPL, Duke Energy and TECO run interconnection processes regulated by the Public Service Commission, with tiers based on system size; nearly all residential systems fall in the simplest tier. Municipal utilities and cooperatives have their own forms and sometimes extra insurance or equipment requirements.

The terms you interconnect under are usually kept for the life of the system even if the rules change later. That is why the interconnection date is not a clerical detail: it defines your contract with the utility.

Common mistake

Not knowing who owns the paperwork. When the installer hands it to a third party, or switches subcontractors mid-project, the application sits in a drawer and PTO slips by weeks. Ask in writing for the date the application was submitted and a case number. The full order of steps is in solar installation process step by step.