Process, step 4
Dominion Energy Solar Interconnection, Explained
Dominion interconnection is four steps: the Net Metering Interconnection Notification, contingent approval, certification after the inspection, and permission to operate. We file every step as the vendor, and you sign where Dominion asks.
Reviewed 2026-09-24
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Answer first
The short answer
Before installation, we submit Dominion's Net Metering Interconnection Notification (NMIN) and you and we both sign it for contingent approval. After installation, the inspection or electrician certification goes into section 5 of the NMIN, Dominion completes its metering and billing work, and it emails permission to operate.
- Apply online: Dominion says email and mailed forms take longer.
- Contingent approval needs two signatures, the customer's and the vendor's, sent by Adobe Sign.
- Virginia's rule gives the utility 30 days from notification to decide whether a residential system meets the interconnection conditions.
- Permission to operate comes by email after the meter and billing work is done.
Dominion's four steps
These are Dominion's steps, in Dominion's order, with what we do at each one.
- 01
Apply: the NMIN
We submit the Net Metering Interconnection Notification online with the system details. Dominion emails the customer and the vendor a request ID.
- 02
Contingent approval
Dominion reviews the system for compatibility with the distribution grid and the facilities serving your address, then sends an Adobe Sign request to both of us. After both signatures, it emails contingent approval.
- 03
Certification after installation
The system is certified by a licensed Virginia electrician or approved by the local inspector. We complete section 5 of the NMIN in the self-service portal and upload the passed inspection.
- 04
Permission to operate
Dominion finishes the metering and billing work and emails permission to operate to the vendor and the customer. The status reads Permission to Operate Sent.
What Dominion reviews, and what it does not
Dominion reviews the interconnection for compatibility with its distribution system against UL 1741 and IEEE 1547. It does not review or approve your equipment choice, the installation method, or where the system goes on the house. Zoning, building codes, and electrical codes are the applicant's responsibility, which is why the county permit matters.
Dominion also reviews your existing service to decide whether it can support the proposed generation and whether more protective equipment is needed. Virginia's rule adds that the solar at a service location has to stay below the capacity of Dominion's service drop and entrance cable, and that the system cannot overload the transformer, unless the customer pays for the upgrade. On an older service, those are the questions that decide the schedule.
How long Dominion takes
Virginia's net metering regulation, 20VAC5-315-30, gives the utility 30 days from the date of notification to decide whether a residential system meets the conditions of interconnection. The rule treats a mailed notification as received on the third day after mailing, which is one reason we file online.
Everything after that depends on your service and Dominion's metering schedule, and Dominion does not publish a fixed time for permission to operate. We track the request in the vendor portal and tell you where it stands.
Costs, meters, and billing rules
A few Dominion rules change the cost or the bill.
- Interconnection charges: Dominion says there are often no charges for small residential systems.
- Inverter settings: for an inverter-connected system above 10 kW AC, Virginia's rule lets the utility inspect the settings for a capped fee.
- Meter: once contingent approval is granted, Dominion installs a bi-directional meter.
- Rate schedules: residential Schedules 1, 1S, and 1G are net metering compatible. A standby charge applies only to residential systems above 20 kW AC.
- Credits: under the State Corporation Commission's order of April 30, 2026 in case PUR-2025-00079, Dominion kept one-for-one netting and customer ownership of the renewable energy certificates.
If your bill is not from Dominion
NOVEC runs its own net metering program under the State Corporation Commission's regulations, starting with an email to its net metering team, and it installs a net meter after the system is in. The City of Manassas runs its own electric utility, with an application that comes before the city permit. The steps look similar, but the forms and the order differ, so we read the utility off your bill before we file anything.
Straight answers
Questions
- Who submits the Dominion NMIN, me or the installer?
- The installer, as the vendor. You receive the request ID email and sign the Adobe Sign request for contingent approval. We handle the rest in Dominion's vendor portal.
- Can I start installation before contingent approval?
- Virginia's rule requires a residential customer to notify the utility before starting installation and to get the utility's approval before interconnecting. We file the NMIN first and install after contingent approval.
- Does Dominion charge to connect my solar?
- Dominion says there are often no charges for small residential systems. Costs come up when the service drop, entrance cable, or transformer needs work, or when a system above 10 kW AC needs an inverter settings inspection.
- What happens to net metering if I sell the house?
- Dominion keeps net metering and transfers the net meter to the next owner. The premise stays a net metering premise until Dominion is told the system is removed.
- Will my solar work when Dominion's power is out?
- Not by itself. Dominion's rule shuts a grid-tied system down in an outage to protect line crews. Energy storage with a transfer switch is the way to keep power on.
Sources
- Dominion Energy Virginia, Net Metering
- Virginia Administrative Code 20VAC5-315-30, Company notification
- Virginia Administrative Code 20VAC5-315-40, Conditions of interconnection
- Virginia State Corporation Commission, Final Order, Case PUR-2025-00079 (Dominion net metering)
- NOVEC, Net Metering
- City of Manassas Electric, Instructional Guide for Completing Net Metering Forms
Next step
We file the Dominion paperwork
The NMIN, the section 5 certification, and the follow-up until permission to operate are part of every job. Get a free quote to start.
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AJ Long Electric Solar
AJ Long Electric
7138 Little River Turnpike #305
Annandale, VA 22003
Serving Annandale, Fairfax County, and Northern Virginia.