What does Residential under 10 kW require?

The application fee is $475, of which $180 is non refundable. Supplemental review and the interconnection study are free. Systems at or below 11 kVA gross nameplate skip the penetration screens entirely.

What does Residential 10 kW to under 20 kW require?

The application fee rises to $900, of which $300 is non refundable.

What does Residential 20 kW and above, charged commercial fees require?

SMUD states plainly that residential systems of 20 kW or more are charged the commercial fees, so the fee jumps to $2,500 with $2,000 non refundable. A residential system at or above 20 kW on a shared secondary also moves to the Standard Large process.

Sacramento Municipal Utility District solar and storage: tiers, fees and insurance

How the size is measured

the gross AC nameplate rating, which SMUD defines as the total gross generating capacity of the generator as designated by its manufacturer, also called inverter AC capacity for inverter based generation. Note that rate eligibility under Schedule SSR is measured differently, on the California Energy Commission AC rating, and the rate schedule says outright that it may differ from the interconnection measurement.

Size bands and what each one obliges

Residential under 10 kW Size 0 to 9.999 kW	The application fee is $475, of which $180 is non refundable. Supplemental review and the interconnection study are free. Systems at or below 11 kVA gross nameplate skip the penetration screens entirely. $475 application fee, $180 non refundable Residential customers must also take Rate Schedule R-TOD
Residential 10 kW to under 20 kW Size 10 to 19.999 kW	The application fee rises to $900, of which $300 is non refundable. $900 application fee, $300 non refundable Rate Schedule R-TOD
Residential 20 kW and above, charged commercial fees Size 20 to 99.999 kW	SMUD states plainly that residential systems of 20 kW or more are charged the commercial fees, so the fee jumps to $2,500 with $2,000 non refundable. A residential system at or above 20 kW on a shared secondary also moves to the Standard Large process. $2,500 application fee, $2,000 non refundable Standard Large process if on a shared secondary
Commercial 100 kW to under 500 kW Size 100 to 499.999 kW	The application fee is $3,300, of which $2,400 is non refundable. $3,300 application fee, $2,400 non refundable
Commercial 500 kW and above Size 500 to 3000 kW	The application fee is $5,000 and it is fully non refundable. Schedule SSR caps generating capacity at 3,000 kW. $5,000 application fee, fully non refundable

The screens that decide it

Within the Schedule SSR 3,000 kW ceiling Limit 3000 kW.
Schedule SSR caps generating capacity at 3,000 kW, measured on the California Energy Commission AC rating for photovoltaic facilities.
Within the 20 kVA single phase limit Limit 20 kW.
On a single phase system the maximum gross AC nameplate rating is 20 kVA, with no more than 6 kVA of imbalance on a center tapped 240 volt service. On a single phase transformer service the ceiling is the transformer nameplate rating itself.
Penetration against daytime minimum load, not fifteen percent of peak 100 percent of line section minimum load, a figure only the utility holds.
SMUD has a fifteen percent of line section peak load screen but expressly applies it to non solar facilities only. Solar is tested against 100 percent of daytime minimum load, taken as 10am to 4pm for fixed panel solar. Both depend on feeder data SMUD holds. Systems at or below 11 kVA gross nameplate are exempt from these screens.

Ask the utility this, before you sell it

Is this system sized within 110 percent of the customer’s own electrical requirements? Schedule SSR requires it.
What is the daytime minimum load on this line section? Solar is screened against it rather than against fifteen percent of peak.
For an existing net metering customer adding capacity, confirm the move to SSR. An increase of more than 10 percent or 1 kW, whichever is greater, or anything above 110 percent of the originally approved capacity, forces the customer off legacy net metering onto SSR and requires a new application.

Worth knowing before you quote

Net metering is closed. Schedule SSR applies to anyone approved for interconnection on or after 1 March 2022; legacy net metering customers keep it through 31 December 2030. A new customer is paid an export compensation rate of $0.0960 per kWh effective 1 June 2026, reset every four years and capped at plus or minus 30 percent per revision. Credits offset usage charges only and carry forward. No insurance is required at any size, confirmed across the full 125 page manual. Published review clocks are in business days: initial review 10 to 15, residential initial plus supplemental 10 to 20, commercial 20 to 30, and a 60 business day interconnection study on the non standard path. Non export and limited export are supported through certified power control systems, and a non exporting standalone battery skips the interconnection study. Adding a battery to a legacy net metering system forfeits that legacy status unless the customer declines SMUD storage incentives.

Source

Sacramento Municipal Utility District Rate Policy and Procedures Manual 11-01 Interconnection Guidelines, Revision 13 effective 17 April 2025, with Rate Schedule SSR Solar and Storage Rate as amended by Resolution 26-04-04 effective 1 June 2026

Read and recorded 2026-09-12. Publicly owned utility, outside its state's interconnection rule. Its own published documents govern. The guidelines file is named February 2022 but its content is Revision 13 effective 17 April 2025. Do not trust the filename. Net metering is closed to new customers.

All California interconnection rules

Size bands and what each one obliges

The screens that decide it

Ask the utility this, before you sell it

Worth knowing before you quote

What to do with this