Grid connection application for solar PV and storage: what to include, deadlines and what follows

30 October 2026 · 5 min read

The connection application is the first formal step for every commercial solar plant and storage system. It holds your place in the grid queue – and an incomplete application loses it. What it must contain, how long the operator has to answer and what comes next.

When and where to apply

The application for connecting a generating plant is filed by its future operator – a company, a site owner, a municipality – with the distribution system operator whose grid it will connect to: depending on the location EG.D, ČEZ Distribuce or PREdistribuce, or the operator of a local distribution system on a closed site. It is filed through the operator's portal or on its form. We prepare and send the application on the customer's behalf – the customer only signs it – and handle any requests for additional information.

The application belongs at the start of the project, not after a finished design. Grid capacity is allocated in the order of complete applications, and only the operator's answer says how much power may flow into the grid – the design is completed accordingly. When an existing plant is extended or storage is added to solar PV, a new application to change the connection is filed.

What the application includes

Part	What it contains
Applicant and site	Company details, land plots and the existing consumption point on the site (EAN), if there is one.
Site plan	Cadastral map showing the plant, the connection point and the cable route.
Single-line diagram	From the panels or batteries through the inverters to the connection point and metering; for storage also charging from the grid.
Technical data	Installed panel power (kWp), inverter power and type, storage capacity and power, evidence that the inverters comply with the operator's requirements.
Reserved power and capacity	How much the plant may feed into the grid and, for storage, how much it may draw; any export limitation (reduced or zero export).
Owner's consent	Where the applicant does not own the property the plant will be on.

Each operator has its own form and list of attachments – they differ in detail, not in substance. What matters is completeness: the operator returns an incomplete application for completion and does not assess it until then.

Operator deadlines

The deadlines are set by Czech Decree No. 16/2016 Coll. on the conditions of connection to the electricity system. In practice the operator answers within roughly 30 days of a complete application:

Step	Deadline
Request to complete an incomplete application	within 15 days of receipt; an application that is not completed is not assessed
Draft connection contract, or notice that connection is not possible	in practice roughly 30 days from a complete application
Choice among other offered connection options (applicant)	within 20 days of the operator's notice

Where measurements or a load-flow calculation are needed, the deadlines are extended, and for larger sources the operator may also ask for a connection study. For plants on medium voltage, plan for months rather than weeks.

What the operator may answer

A draft connection contract – with the reserved power, the connection point and voltage level, and technical conditions.
Other options – lower power, different connection conditions, export limitation or data transfer for control; the applicant chooses one.
Connection not possible now – with specific reasons, an indicative date and the conditions under which connection would be possible.

Other options are worth reading carefully: a lower reserved power with export limitation or with storage often gives an economic result similar to the original plan. More in the article on reserved power.

Contract, advance payment and deadlines

The connection is paid for through a contribution to the operator's eligible costs, calculated from the reserved power. The line from the plant to the connection point is paid by the applicant in full. Under the contract, an advance of half of the contribution is paid within 15 days of signing. For connections at medium and high voltage part of the contribution is non-refundable, so a speculative application costs money; at low voltage there is no non-refundable part.

The contract sets a date by which the plant must be connected. If it is missed and no change is agreed, the reservation may lapse – which is why we track the contract dates together with the permit and construction.

The contract conditions belong in the design

The connection contract states what the plant must meet: a disconnection point, grid protection and its settings, metering, power control and communication with the dispatch centre, and for larger outputs limits on grid disturbances. We build them into the construction documentation so that the plant passes the operator's inspection before the first connection. The whole path from the site check to commissioning is described on the page on grid connection, and for storage in the article on connecting battery storage.

The most common reasons for return or delay

the owner's consent or the applicant's signature is missing,
the diagram does not match the form – different inverter power, different metering point,
the requested reserved power is not justified; “more, just in case” costs more in contribution and advance,
for storage, the request for consumption to charge from the grid is missing,
the inverters lack evidence of compliance with the operator's requirements.

FAQ

Do I need a finished design before applying?

No. A site plan, a single-line diagram and technical data are enough for the application. The detailed design follows the operator's conditions – the reverse order means rework.

Who files the application – us or the designer?

The applicant is always the future operator of the plant. We prepare and send the application on their behalf and they only sign it; we handle additional requests and communication with the grid operator.

Does this also apply to a small plant on a family house?

Microgenerators and storage up to 10.8 kW follow a simplified procedure with shorter deadlines. This article covers commercial plants, where the operator assesses the impact on the grid.

What if the operator refuses the connection?

It must state the reasons, an indicative date and the conditions under which connection would be possible. The project can often be adjusted – lower export power, export limitation, storage, a different connection point or a medium-voltage connection with your own transformer station.

Planning a similar project?

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