Dominion Energy does not offer installation services or provide oversight of the installation process; however, we conduct a field inspection to ensure that the installation meets our requirements. Selecting an experienced solar contractor is one of the most important steps in the overall installation process.

A Consumer Guide to Solar for the South Carolina Homeowner is an excellent resource to help educate customers on the overall process for installing rooftop solar, including selecting a contractor. Also be aware of the factors you should consider in order to determine if solar is right for you.

Dominion Energy does not offer financing options or installation services for solar systems.

Customers can offset up to 100% of their electrical usage without exceeding 20 kW for residential customers and 1,000 kW for non-residential customers. Dominion Energy uses a customer's annual electric usage and a capacity factor of 1,531 to determine the amount of solar a customer can have.

Formula:

Customer Usage

(365 Days * 24 hrs per day * Capacity Factor * DC/AC Conversion)

Example:

Annual Customer Usage - 10,717 kWh

10,717 / (365 * 24 * 0.1531 * 1.1) = 7.26

7.26 kW - Maximum System Size

After all required information is entered into PowerClerk, the following forms will be produced for your completion and digital signature: Interconnection Request Application, Solar Energy Program Application, and IRS W-9 Form. You must also upload Proof of Property (Liability) Insurance and a Single Line Diagram.

Renewable Energy customers who interconnect on or after January 1, 2015 are eligible to receive an annual bill credit if their solar generation exceeds their usage. The value of any bill credit/payment you receive could be treated as income. Consult with your tax advisor for more information.

You and your installer will both receive an auto-response email confirming receipt of your completed application forms and fee; we will then contact you both via email within 15 business days to notify you of the outcome of the technical review.

The South Carolina Interconnection Standard requires that customers “obtain and retain, for as long as the Generating Facility is interconnected with the Utility’s System, liability insurance which protects the Interconnection Customer from claims for bodily injury and/or property damage.” The Standard also prescribes the amount of liability coverage for residential and nonresidential customers based on the size of the Generating Facility.

We do not partner with solar installers or leasing companies to sell products or services to our customers. We provide interconnection services to our customers and work through solar installers (at the customer’s request) to help facilitate that process. Claims that Dominion Energy is working with solar installers to sell rooftop systems or leases are not true, and should be reported to the SC Office of Regulatory Staff or the SC Department of Consumer Affairs.

You can move forward with your solar installation only after you receive a signed interconnection agreement and approval letter from Dominion Energy.

It is important that you wait for approval from Dominion Energy to ensure that your system plans adhere to system requirements for the interconnection process.

There are many variables that may impact how long it will take to install your solar system; however, timing will largely be dependent on your contractor’s schedule and availability. Typically speaking, it takes about 3 days to actually install solar panels; however, the overall process may take 3 to 6 months.

The standard meter cannot differentiate between incoming and outgoing energy. Without the bi-directional meter, you could be charged for outgoing energy your solar panels generate that is sent back to Dominion Energy.

The South Carolina Generator Interconnection Procedures (SCGIP), requires Dominion Energy SC to maintain a reserve circuit phase capacity on each circuit for projects ≤ 20 kW. The intent is to prevent larger projects from taking all the capacity and blocking out smaller projects. If you receive this message, your project is on a phase circuit that has reached/exceeded the ≤ 20 kW reserved capacity. This means that ≤ 20 kW interconnection application process can no longer be used and your project will have to follow the ">20 kW SCGIP Fast Track Process", which involves further review by Dominion Energy SC to ensure the system will not affect the safety and reliability on that circuit.

You can resubmit your project for consideration, at which point it will be reviewed to determine if it can be connected to the Dominion Energy grid.