The connection procedure for a project under the Netbilling Law has 6 stages. It is important to note that all forms and the Online Connection Processing platform for each of the communications with both the distribution company and the Superintendency are available on the website of the Superintendency[41], as well as the maximum deadlines for response of all parties.

Stage 0: Information Request (optional)

Users may request information from the distribution company regarding the Permitted Installed Capacity associated with the appropriate distribution transformer or feeder. The information must be delivered to the user within no more than 10 working days.

Stage 1: Connection Request to Grid (SCR)

The user must present an SC in which it includes its identification, address where it will be installed, means of contact, installed capacity and injection of the Generation Equipment (EG) and its main characteristics. The distribution company has 5 days to request correction of the SCR in case it has incomplete or erroneous information and the user has 5 working days to make the corrections. The calculation of the installed capacity and the injection of surpluses allowed and the determination of specific technical requirements are specified in the technical standard.

The connection request for the supply of energy or the extension of services made to a distributor may be made jointly with the SCR of a Generation Equipment. The distributor must evaluate both requests together in 20 days.

The response of the SCR should include the following information: location of the point of connection of the Generation Equipment, the capacity of the joint, the installed capacity and surplus injection allowed, the additional works and necessary adjustments for the connection together with its valuation, the execution term and mode of payment, the model of connection contract, the cost of the activities necessary to make the connection, the sum of installed capacity and injection capacity, the amount of SCR associated with the same distribution transformer where it is requested; and the report of additional works.

The distribution company has between 5 and 40 working days to respond to SCR depending on the information provided by the user and if information was requested prior to the SCR.

1. If the capacity of the generating equipment to be connected is less than the capacity of the joint and less than the installed capacity allowed and, that the injection capacity is less than or equal to that allowed, the term is 5 working days. If it was not preceded by an information request, the deadline is 10 working days.
2. If the capacity of the generation equipment to be connected is lower or equal to the capacity of the junction and the safety and configuration criteria of the distribution grid are met, in accordance with the required of the technical standard (photovoltaic solar equipment with a capacity of less than 10 kW connected to low voltage and that said capacity added to that of other low-voltage generation plants or in the process of connection do not exceed 10% of the rated power of the transformer18), the term is 5 working days.
3. If the installed capacity of the equipment is greater than the installed capacity allowed, that the injection capacity is greater than the allowed surplus injection or requires a change in the capacity of the junction, the term is 20 business days. If the project is located in commune-Distribuidora Company pairs classified as very low density, then the term is extended by 10 business days (reaching 30 business days). In the event that the SCR had been preceded by a request for information and the distributor in the response to the SCR indicates lower values with respect to the installed capacity or injection of surpluses allowed to those consigned in the request for information, the Distributor must certify that the conditions for the determination of said parameters have changed.
4. For the connection of Generation Equipment in residential complexes, buildings or the like, and those that are connected to the same distribution transformer, may jointly present a single SCR for the connection of their corresponding generation equipment. The SCR must respond in 20 working days. In case that for a real estate project new networks are required or to make modifications to the existing distribution networks, the term will be of 40 working days.

 Stage 2: Demonstration of conformity

The assessment of the activities necessary to carry out the processing and connection of the generation equipment must be carried out by the distributor. The user must express their agreement within 20 days.

The user may increase or decrease the installed capacity to a value less than or equal to the permitted installed capacity and, in the same way, may increase or decrease the injection capacity to a value less than or equal to the allowable injection of surpluses, in such a way that avoid the execution of additional works, adjustments or adjustments that have been informed in the response of the SCR. This must be reported at the time of expressing your agreement within 5 days.

The user has 20 business days to express their agreement in the event that the power of the generation equipment is greater than 40% of the allowed installed capacity. Otherwise, it is not necessary to make the declaration of conformity and you can proceed with the Notification of Connection (NC).

Users may file claims with the Superintendency, if the claim is accepted, the distributor must respond within 10 days and from the response, the user will have 10 days to express their agreement.

In general, the user can demonstrate their conformity with a validity of 6 months (extendable for 6 more months or up to 24 months if the generation equipment is not photovoltaic or wind power or if the equipment has been acquired with public funds or equipment of joint generation) for the user to make the connection notification.

If it is contemplated to carry out additional works, the deadline for submitting the connection notification must be agreed with the distribution company, but it cannot exceed 5 working days the deadline indicated by the distribution company in the response to the SC.

In the event that the generation facilities are destined to joint rooms, buildings or other similar ones, whether new or extensions thereof, the manifestation of conformity will have a validity of 3 years.

In summary, the validity to present the Connection Notification (NC) will depend on whether additional works must be carried out, from the place of installation of the Generation Equipment (particular place or joint housing, building or similar, new or extensions) and generation technology. Table 2 presents a summary of these deadlines.

Stage 3: Installation and registration with the SEC (TE4 statement)

The installation must be carried out by electrical installers certified by the Superintendency  or by those professionals indicated in S.D. N°93 of 1983, of the Ministry of Economy, Development and Reconstruction. Also, said professionals must report the energization to the Superintendency once the works are completed, who will certify that the installation complies with the regulations and technical standards (TE4 statement).

Stage 4: Connection Notification (NC) and Contract Signing

Within the validity period to present the NC indicated in Table 2, the user must submit it to the distribution company and must accompany with the following antecedents: connection contract signed by the customer, address, identification and class of the installer, the copy of the communication of the commissioning made by authorized installers and accreditation of payment for processing and connection activities.

When the NC presents incomplete or erroneous information, the user must correct it within 5 days. For joint generation, in the case of requesting a correction to the joint ownership contract, this term will be 10 days.

Stage 5: Connection Protocol

Once the NC has been delivered, the distribution company will carry out or supervise the connection of the generation equipment according to the technical standard. The date of connection must be agreed between the parties and may not exceed 5 days from the date and hour of delivery of the connection notification. The connection must be made or supervised by the distributor within the following 10 days. In case it is not done by the user, he must present a new NC.

Figure 7 summarizes the connection and commissioning procedure for a distributed generator[42].

The connection of a PMGD requires longer deadlines and a somewhat more complex procedure for connection and may require the financing of specialized technical studies. This procedure is on the SEC website [11]can be differentiated in the following stages:

Stage 0: Optional. Request for information and response from the distributor

This stage is optional and corresponds to a request for information from the distribution company through the SEC platform (Form N°1). This form should indicate the main characteristics of the PMGD, including its point of connection, the main characteristics of the modification in the connection and/or operation of the PMGD, the identification of the interested party, with address or e-mail address, the information request of the facilities of the distribution company, relevant for the design of the change in connection and/or operation of an existing PMGD.

Then within a maximum period of up to 15 days from receipt of the request, the distribution company will respond through Form N° 2 which will include technical information requerid, and additionally must attach the payroll of other PMGDs in the feeder, list of technical studies required in the case of being classified as PMGD of significant impact and list of the values of preparation and review of studies.

Stage 1: Submit the Network Connection Request (SCR)

The interested party must submit Form N°3, known as the Network Connection Request (SCR) and indicates if it wishes to be evaluated as a PMGD of Non-Significant Impact (INS)[13].

The SCR must include at least the following information:

1. Individualization of the applicant.
2. Individualization of the owner or operator.
3. Contact details.
4. Georeferenced location.
5. Documentation associated with the land.
6. Documentation of the right to use water.
7. Affidavit stating that the land has the necessary characteristics for the location of the project.
8. Installed capacity and injection capacity of the project.
9. Technical characteristics according to the NTCO.
10. Indicate if you will operate as a self-producer
11. Proof of payment of 20% of study costs.
12. Data for refund of money.
13. Project execution schedule.

Stage 2: Declaration of admissibility

The distribution company has a period of 10 days counted from the receipt of the SCR to declare the information admissible according to what is indicated in Form N°4. The distributor must attach the updated information of the SCRs in process associated with the same feeder (connection point, installed capacity, injection capacity and generation technology, order of priority of the SCRs and the contact details of the interested parties) . A SCR that fully or partially shares the location polygon cannot be declared admissible.

Likewise, once the SCR has been received, the distribution company may request the interested party within 10 days, one time only, to supplement the SCR. The interested party has 5 days to answer this request for additional information (Form N°5). Subsequently, the distributor will have a period of 10 additional days to declare the admissibility of the SCR (Form N°6).

Stage 3: Response to the Network Connection Request (SCR)

Within the 10 days following the declaration of admissibility of an SCR, the distribution company must respond to the interested party, using Form N°7. The distributor must update all the information in Form N°1 (Art. 32 of S.D. N°88), in addition to the List of PMGDs that are operating in the area adjacent to the connection point and a list of connection studies to prepare the Connection Criteria Report (ICC).

Stage 4: Compliance with the response to the Network Connection Request (SCR)

The interested party must notify their agreement with the response to the SCR (N°8) to the distributor within 5 days. In the event that the interested party is not satisfied with the response to the SCR, they can request a new review within 5 days. The distributor must resolve within the following 10 days, after this period, the interested party must notify their agreement with the response to the SCR in 5 more days.

If the PMGD is not classified as INS, the distribution company will indicate through Form N°8, with this information and within 5 business days after receiving Form N°8, the interested party must notify the distribution company if they decide to reduce the installed capacity and injection capacity values ​​declared in the SCR at a value equal to or less than the installed capacity values ​​for expedited connection and injection capacity for expedited connection to be classified as INS. The interested party who does not reduce the values ​​must update the project execution schedule, informing them within a period of 5 days from the issuance of the SCR response.

Likewise, if the declared installed capacity and injection capacity values ​​are below the installed capacity values ​​for expedited connection and injection capacity for expedited connection, the interested party may increase the installed capacity and injection capacity reported in the SCR. up to the installed capacity values ​​for expedited connection and injection capacity for expedited connection, respectively, and maintain the classification of your project as INS. In this case, the distributor must maintain the classification of the project as INS, a fact that must be informed through a new response to the SCR, within 5 days after the SCR communicated its decision.

Stage 5: Issuance of the Connection Criteria Report (ICC)

In relation to the connection studies, once the response to the SCR has been issued, it must issue an ICC, which must contain a connection cost report. In the event that the distributor has carried out the connection studies, it must deliver the studies together with the respective ICC. For projects that qualify as INS, the distributor must communicate the ICC (Form N°14) to the interested party within 20 days following the issuance of the SCR response. The ICC must also attach the connection or modification contract, the contract to carry out additional works, adjustments and adjustments, and the schedule for the execution of additional works, adjustments and adjustments. For projects that do not qualify as INS, the distributor must communicate the ICC to the Interested Party (Form N°14) within the five months following the issuance of the SCR response.

Once the ICC has been issued by the distributor and within a period not exceeding 20 days, the Interested Party must express their agreement (Form N°15) with it or request modifications or clarifications, which must be answered within 20 days. following. In this case, the Interested Party must express their agreement with the ICC within the following 20 days, attaching the signed contract for additional works, adjustments and adjustments.

The ICC will be valid for 9 months for INS projects, 12 months for projects that do not qualify as INS with installed capacity of less than 3 MW, and 18 months for the rest of the PMGD projects.

Stage 6: Declaration under construction

The interested party must certify the progress and fulfillment of the milestones of the project’s execution schedule (Form N°17), for this he must present antecedents to prove the start of environmental processing and sectoral permits, and the resolution to accredit the declaration under construction of the draft.

The owner or operator of a PMGD project declared under construction must inform the CNE of the completion of the progress of the work according to the schedule (Form N°18) and must report any modification that alters compliance with the schedule within a period of 15 days. .

Stage 7: Commissioning and Entry into Operation

The commissioning stage is that which begins with the interconnection and energization of the PMGD, with prior authorization from the Coordinator and until the end of the respective tests carried out or supervised by the distributor.

The owner or operator of the PMGD must notify the Coordinator, the CNE and the Superintendency of the estimated date of interconnection within the ICC’s term of effect at least three months in advance.

With respect to the Coordinator, the estimated date of interconnection and a request for authorization of commissioning must be submitted (attached with the address, identification of the connection point, the identification and class of the electrical installer and a copy of the communication of the interconnection to the Superintendency). The Coordinator must respond with the authorization within 20 days.

With respect to the distributor, a Notification of Connection (NC) must be submitted in accordance with Form N°19 and attaching the following:

1. Connection Agreement.
2. The address of the property.
3. The identification and class of the electrical installer.
4. Copy of the communication of the PMGD interconnection made by an electrical installer.
5. Monthly resolution of the CNE where the PMGD appears as declared under construction.
6. Authorization by the Coordinator for the start of the commissioning stage.

When the additional and construction works are completed, a commissioning schedule must be set and a date for the commissioning scheduled in agreement with the distributor (Form N°20). This must be informed to the Coordinator and the CNE with 15 days in advance.

The interconnection and energization of the PMGD must be carried out or supervised by the distributor (Form N°21). Once the commissioning stage is completed, the information to verify compliance with the requirements established in the test protocols must be sent to the Coordinator, together with an affidavit of faithful compliance with current regulations. The Coordinator should issue his approval within 20 days.