Going solar
How solar and the grid work together
Generate clean energy at home while staying connected to our resilient network.
Will solar work for your home?
Generating your own solar power is one of the most effective ways to reduce household carbon emissions and lower power bills. Solar works best when designed for self-consumption – using the electricity you generate during daylight hours.
Staying connected to our network gives you the best of both worlds: the grid acts as your ultimate backup when your panels aren’t producing enough power, and lets you safely export excess energy back to the grid when you produce a surplus.
What to consider before you invest
Before signing up with a solar provider, doing a little prep work will ensure you get a system that fits your home and works safely with our network:
- Assess your roof space, orientation, and shading, as well as when your household uses the most power.
- Ask your installer to supply smart, grid-compliant inverters approved for connection to our network.
- Confirm that your neighbourhood lines have sufficient capacity before purchasing equipment.
Connecting solar to the grid
To ensure the safety of your home and our line crews, all solar systems connected to our network require prior approval.
- Work with a qualified installer to choose a system sized to your household load.
- Submit an Alternative Energy Connection application via the Northpower Service Centre.
- Northpower reviews your inverter specs, connection phasing, and local line capacity.
- Your electrician completes the installation, certifies safety compliance, and livens the system.
Understanding exports back to the grid
Because localised network congestion can occur as more renewables connect across our district, we encourage households to prioritise self-consumption. Using appliance timers, charging EVs during the day, or adding battery storage ensures you make the most of your generated power before exporting.
Solar guides
Learn about the approved inverter list for our network.
Questions to ask your solar installer
Solar and the network
Electrifying your home
Electricity standards
