Solar interconnection: how your system gets approved to connect to the grid
The utility’s process for approving a system that connects to its grid: an application, an agreement and, at the end, permission to operate.
Every grid-tied system needs an interconnection agreement with the utility. Your installer normally applies on your behalf when the design is final. For typical home systems the review is routine; very large systems or crowded neighbourhood circuits can need extra study.
The agreement also fixes which tariff you are on, including how exports are credited. That is why rules announced for future customers usually depend on when your application was submitted.
What this means for you: If your state is about to change its export rules, ask when your application will be filed. The filing date can lock in the older rules.