The solar generation market has increased significantly over the past several years and is poised to outpace wind energy growth over the next several years. As consumer preferences continue to evolve and solar PV installation costs fall, behind-the-meter solar installations have become more popular. Large numbers of solar interconnection requests combined with labor intensive interconnection practices are challenging for small electric cooperative staffs, and yet existing automation solutions are expensive and often difficult to use. This guidebook provides electric cooperatives and other utilities with an alternative approach to automate the solar interconnection process, and how to communicate solar programs to consumers. Five cooperative case studies are included.
