Your journey to solar energy involves more than just choosing a system. It’s a step‑by‑step process that moves from selecting a qualified installer through to installation, commissioning, and final connection to the electricity network. Along the way, your installer will submit and manage the application approval process, install and set up your system, and work with your electricity retailer and Jemena to ensure everything is tested, compliant, and ready to operate safely. Understanding these key stages early can help you navigate the process with confidence, and know what to expect from each party involved.

The first step is to log into our My Portal platform to see how much electricity you use and when you use it. This helps identify your household’s usage patterns and needs. If you need your solar system to work independently during power outages or if you use a lot of electricity at night, a battery might be beneficial.

Share your usage information with your solar installer to help them recommend the right system and size for your needs. Remember, larger systems aren't always better, it may be better to use more of the electricity you generate than send it back to the grid (export). Make sure you tell them about your circumstances and ask lots of questions, so you get the best solar solution for you.

'Please be sure to choose an accredited installer. You can check if your installer is accredited by visiting the Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA) website.

Before signing a contract with your chosen solar installer, make sure that the solar system is compliant by checking CEC list of approved CSIP- AUS inverters and the Jemena approved list of inverters. Then, head to our website and submit an “Approve My Embedded Generation and Battery storage” application in our My Portal (if you have details of your solar system) or ask your solar installer to submit the application on your behalf.

The average residential systems are typically less than 10KVA per phase (30KVA for 3 phase), in that case the application will be treated as a Basic Connection and pre-approval under the Model Standing Offer (MSO) will be provided by Jemena in no time. The MSO sets out the standard terms for connecting your system to the Jemena electricity network and is approved by the Australian Energy Regulator (AER). 

Systems exceeding these limits (larger systems that exceed the 10KVA per phase / 30KVA for 3 phase) must follow a Negotiated Connection process and sign a generator agreement. Our connections team will contact you via phone or email with the details once they receive your application. For more information about connection charges, click here.

Your accredited installer will install the solar system. You will need to provide them with your internet details so that the inverter can be connected to the internet. It is recommended that an ethernet cable connection is used to maintain a stable connection.

Once the system is installed, your installer will engage a Licenced Electrical Inspector to inspect and provide a Certificate of Electrical Safety (CES). Then, your installer will submit a Commission my CSIP-AUS Inverter application along with other details like inverter A settings screenshot, CES, National Meter ID (NMI) and inverter ID (LFDI), and will leave the site and wait until Jemena performs all the commissioning tests.

During this time, the inverter should remain on and connected to the internet. Jemena will communicate the commissioning test outcome to the customer and record the details in My Portal. If anything fails, the installer will receive an email, they should be able to fix it up and resubmit the Commission my CSIP-AUS Inverter application.

Ask your installer to give you instructions on how to connect your inverter to the internet in case you need it in the future, such as if you change your Wi-Fi password.

Once you receive confirmation that your application has been approved by Jemena, you (or your installer) will need to notify your retailer prior to turning on your system. Your electricity retailer will ask Jemena to change your tariff to the solar feed in tariff.

If this is the first time you have installed rooftop solar, Jemena may need to reconfigure your meter (meter configuration is not required for customers who are upgrading or replacing their solar systems). If a site visit is required, this can take up to 20 days, but if we don’t need to attend, the process will take only a few days.

Now, it's important to ensure your inverter system is always connected to the internet to get the benefit of your system. You can ask your installer for instructions on how to do this.

Also, it is worth checking your electricity bill month-to-month to make sure that you are getting the solar credit as expected (for example, it should not be near $0 in your electricity bill unless you manage to shift all your usage during solar production hours). Speak to your retailer if you have any questions.

To make sure you receive the benefits of your solar system (exporting excess power to the grid), we will need to conduct some tests. These tests involve checking if your inverter is still connected to the internet and is compliant. We expect that your solar generation will be interrupted for between 20–30 mins, and we will let you know in advance when we will be doing this testing. This test won’t affect the supply of electricity to your home.