I want to generate my own electricity

For residential or small commercial applications, it’s important to ensure you have:

• Checked our congestion map to understand the current congestion status of your property. This will tell you whether you are eligible for fast-track approval of up to 10kW per ICP (connection point) or it requires further investigation due to possible congestion.
• Checked our Distributed Generation Standard.
• Completed the application form with all information required. The form is designed to capture the required information for a compliant application provided technical requirements are met.
• Low voltage (230 V) inverter-based generation must be 4777.2 (2020) compliant (see approved inverter list), be installed in compliance with 4777.1 (2024) and have settings as specified in the technical requirements section of PowerNet’s Distributed Generation Standard.

The distributed generation owner must provide PowerNet a copy of the Certificate of Compliance (CoC) and the Record of Inspection (ROI), typically provided by the installer, as soon as it is available but no later than 10 business days after the approval of the application.

For other generation systems we may need to work with you post application to gather information and determine specific requirements for connection to the network. The amount of information required will depend on the size and type of generation and shall remain confidential between the parties unless agreed otherwise.

Vehicle to Grid (V2G) installations are considered to be an inverter-based generation system. Please apply using the distributed generation application form and indicate V2G as the application type in the Inverter section of the form. The form will then guide you on any additional information we might require.

Application process, timeframe and fees are dependent on the following generation size categories:

¹ Compliant low voltage inverter-based generation (e.g. roof top solar) applications up to a maximum export capability of 10kW or any lower limits specified on PowerNet’s congestion map may be fast tracked.

PowerNet may need to perform further detailed investigative studies to identify any potential adverse effects the generation may have on the system. A fee will be chargeable for this; we will advise you before we approve the connection if this is required.

The changes widen the upper and lower voltage limits that low voltage networks may operate within. This effectively increases the capacity of our networks for LV (low voltage) connected customers, which is important as customers connect new technologies and electrify to move away from fossil fuelled energy use.

These changes will generally be managed by PowerNet when designing new network or approving new connections. However exporting devices such as solar inverters, vehicle to grid systems, batteries or other generation may have voltage-based control settings that need updated to enable customers to benefit from the increased voltage limits.

These changes came into effect before a New Zealand specific standardised approach to voltage-based control settings had been developed. The Australia A settings were developed for the voltage limits that New Zealand has now moved to. The Electricity Authority proposed to mandate this specific standard alongside the changed voltage limits and PowerNet needed to update its Distributed Generation Standard. A further benefit is that these settings are the default settings in many solar inverters that have been jointly designed for Australia and New Zealand.

The ‘Australia A Region’ settings from AS/NZS 4777.2 have now been reflected in PowerNet’s Distributed Generation Standard and appear as the default settings in PowerNet’s Online DG Application form (both linked below).

Customers who installed DG or exporting DER, with the voltage control settings specified prior to 7 November 2025, are not required to update their voltage control settings but may choose to do so. These earlier settings may cause export to be reduced prematurely in response to rising voltage on the network, whereas the Australia A settings are designed to allow full use of the allowed range of voltages that the network may operate at. Unfortunately a further update to these settings may be necessary. PowerNet does not have certainty about what settings may be adopted as a New Zealand wide standard or set in regulation in the near future but will align with these standards when confirmed. This means customers may want to wait until there is more certainty these settings will remain unchanged noting:

• for most customers the earlier settings should not result in significant lost export potential at this time (there will be more effect in future as more customers export power to the local networks).
• there is some cost and inconvenience for customers to have their settings updated and, as this would be a modification to the installation, a Distributed Generation (DG) application is required (please contact your electrician or installer if you decide to update your settings).

PowerNet will endeavour to keep customers informed as we monitor changing regulation and adapt our standards.