News

Applications for connecting solar and battery systems to distribution networks have long been a major frustration for the solar industry. Over many years, Electricity Distribution (EDB) Companies have been slow to establish appropriate systems, processes, and resources to adequately support customers seeking to connect solar and batteries to their networks. As demand increases, EDB's need to take steps to better facilitate connections.

The pace of change in the distribution industry has been glacial, and a recent survey of SEANZ members identified ongoing challenges in connecting solar and batteries to the grid. Delays to projects, customer frustration (in some cases resulting in cancellation) and additional costs all slow the rollout of these technologies that can reduce costs for consumers, improve resilience, and decrease emissions.

The following graph provides insight into the efficiency of Network connection processes, as judged by the hundreds of solar installers across the country who participated in our survey. Long processing times, lack of communication and lack of transparency topped an extensive list of issues faxed by anyone trying to connect to a lock network.

Image: SEANZ member ‘EDB’ survey results November 2025

One business is, however, bucking the trend and pressing forward with innovative solutions to overcome many of these barriers.

WEL Networks in Hamilton have now set the standard by recently introducing:
No fees for all applications <10kW and <30kW if 3 phase
Full online application process
Processing in <10 minutes for simple applications
Ability to check expected export limits before lodging an application by simply entering the ICP and connection type
Installer and customer portals to check progress

More about WEL Networks new solutions can be found here: https://www.wel.co.nz/solardg

According to Gareth Williams, SEANZ Manager Innovation Pathways: "This sets the standard for DG processing by EDBs and demonstrates what is possible through technology and the right focus on customer service"

SEANZ has been working with Electricity Networks Aotearoa (ENA) to address the issues identified in our survey, and we will run a webinar for ENA members in January to present our member feedback, illustrated with specific examples. We will present the solutions we believe are needed, with the WEL Networks process as the national end goal.

While we have many case studies of the frustration our members have reported, we would love to hear of others which illustrate the challenges our industry faces in seeking connection approval. Please send to [email protected]