What is solar permission to operate?

It is the utility's written approval to run a grid-tied solar system. Dominion sends it by email to the customer and the installer after the local inspection and its own metering and billing work are complete.

How long after inspection do I get permission to operate?

It depends on the utility's metering schedule, and Dominion does not publish a fixed time. We track the request in the portal and tell you where it stands.

Can I turn on my solar before PTO?

No. Virginia's rule requires the utility's approval before interconnecting, and the meter has to be set for net metering. We turn the system on with you after PTO.

Where do I find my PTO letter?

Dominion emails it to you and to us. We also include a copy in your closeout packet with the permit card and the inspection record.

Why doesn't my bill show everything my panels made?

The meter only sees power you buy and power you send back. Power your home uses directly from the panels never crosses the meter, so the monitoring app is where total production shows.

Process, step 6

Permission to Operate: The Last Step Before Solar Turns On

Name: AJ Long Electric
Address: 2724 Dorr Ave, Suite 102, Fairfax, VA, 22031, US
Telephone: (571) 444-6886

Permission to operate, or PTO, is the utility's written go-ahead to switch on a grid-tied solar system. It comes after the local inspection passes and the utility's meter and billing work is done, and your system stays off until it arrives.

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Reviewed 2026-09-24

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Answer first

The short answer

Permission to operate is the utility's approval to run your solar system connected to the grid. For a Dominion home it is an email sent to you and to us after the local inspection is recorded and Dominion finishes its metering and billing work.

It comes after the county inspection, not with it.
Dominion emails it to the vendor and the customer, and the application status changes to Permission to Operate Sent.
NOVEC and City of Manassas Electric have their own closing steps.
After PTO, the tax exemption and your first net metered bill follow.

What the utility needs before PTO

Virginia's net metering rule lists the conditions before a system can operate interconnected: the utility was properly notified, any required lockable disconnect is installed, and the licensed electrician who installed the system certifies the disconnect and the installation against the manufacturer's instructions and the National Electrical Code. When a Virginia Class A or B contractor installs the system, the signed final electrical inspection can stand in for that certification. We hold Class B license 2705031092.

For inverter-connected systems above 10 kW AC, the utility may also inspect the inverter settings first. The rule caps the fee for that inspection.

How Dominion sends PTO

After the inspection passes, we complete section 5 of the Net Metering Interconnection Notification in Dominion's self-service portal and upload the passed inspection. Dominion then completes the required metering and billing work and emails permission to operate to the vendor and the customer. Customers can request a copy of the PTO from their installer, and we send it with your closeout packet.

Timing after the inspection depends on Dominion's metering schedule, and Dominion does not publish a fixed number of days. The regulation gives the utility 30 days from notification to decide whether a residential system meets the conditions, which happens earlier in the process.

NOVEC and City of Manassas Electric

NOVEC handles net metering through its own team and installs a net meter once the system is complete. NOVEC measures the excess energy the system sends back, not total production, and applies it to future bills.

City of Manassas Electric closes out differently. After the electrical inspection, the application goes back to Manassas Electric with the passed inspection and a declaration of insurance, the city does the metering work and signs the agreement, and the account moves to the net metering rate schedule. At that point the system can generate.

Why the system stays off until PTO

Virginia's rule requires the utility's approval before a residential system is interconnected, and Dominion's process ends with the PTO email for a reason: the meter and billing have to be set for net metering before exported power is counted. We leave every system off at the end of installation and turn it on with you after PTO.

After PTO

Here is what changes once the system is on.

Turn-on: we switch the system on, confirm production on the monitoring, and show you the reading.
Your bill: Dominion's bill shows what you bought and what you sent back, not everything the system produced. Solar you use in the house never passes through the meter.
Tax exemption: in Fairfax County, Land Development Services forwards the exemption application to the Department of Tax Administration after the inspections are approved, and DTA mails a letter confirming the five-year exemption.
If you sell: Dominion transfers net metering to the next owner.

Straight answers

Questions

What is solar permission to operate?: It is the utility's written approval to run a grid-tied solar system. Dominion sends it by email to the customer and the installer after the local inspection and its own metering and billing work are complete.
How long after inspection do I get permission to operate?: It depends on the utility's metering schedule, and Dominion does not publish a fixed time. We track the request in the portal and tell you where it stands.
Can I turn on my solar before PTO?: No. Virginia's rule requires the utility's approval before interconnecting, and the meter has to be set for net metering. We turn the system on with you after PTO.
Where do I find my PTO letter?: Dominion emails it to you and to us. We also include a copy in your closeout packet with the permit card and the inspection record.
Why doesn't my bill show everything my panels made?: The meter only sees power you buy and power you send back. Power your home uses directly from the panels never crosses the meter, so the monitoring app is where total production shows.

Sources

Next step

Paperwork through PTO is part of the job

We file the utility application, pass the inspection, and chase permission to operate. Get a free quote to start.