Solar and battery interconnection rules in Kentucky

Size bands and what each one obliges

The screens that decide it

• Within the 45 kW rated capacity limit Limit 45 kW.

  The statute sets eligibility at a rated capacity of not greater than 45 kilowatts, raised from 30 kW by Senate Bill 100 of 2019. The published guidelines document still says 30 kW and has not been conformed.

• Aggregate generation on a shared secondary under 20 kVA Limit 20 kW.

  The aggregate on a shared secondary may not exceed the smaller of 20 kVA or the nameplate rating of the transformer, which is materially tighter than the 65 percent of transformer rating used in several other states.

• Aggregate generation under 15 percent of line section annual one hour peak load 15 percent of line section peak load, a figure only the utility holds.

  Kentucky measures against the line section most recent annual one hour peak load, and defines a line section as the smallest part of the primary system the facility could remain connected to after any sectionalizing device operates. That is a smaller denominator than most states use.

Ask the utility this, before you sell it

1. How much of the one percent cap remains on this supplier? Kentucky offers net metering first come first served up to one percent of the supplier single hour peak load in the previous year, and once that is reached the supplier has no further obligation to offer net metering to any new customer at any subsequent time. It is permanent once tripped, which makes it the most consequential cap of any state read.
2. Is the 45 kilowatt limit measured in alternating or direct current? The statute says rated capacity and does not define it.
3. Is this address served by a municipal utility? Neither statute section addresses municipals and the position is unresolved.

Worth knowing before you quote

Kentucky requires general liability insurance at both levels, which a standard homeowner, commercial or other policy may satisfy, and states no dollar amount. A Level 2 application is required where the facility is not inverter based, the equipment is not UL 1741 certified, or a Level 1 condition is not met; it carries a non refundable fee of up to $100 and up to $1,000 for an initial impact study. Level 1 is decided within 20 business days and Level 2 within 30. The customer notifies the utility within three business days of completion and the witness test occurs within ten. There is no minimum load screen and no storage or non export provision; the guidelines predate storage.