DER connection process & application forms

Step 1 – Apply for a feasibility assessment: complete the Service Request form and select net metering if this DER will inject to the grid. Within 15 days (minimum, up to 60 days for more complex projects), if there is capacity in the grid to host your DER, a Service Layout will be generated and sent to you. The Service Layout will indicate actions that both you and Hydro Ottawa are responsible for, and include a quotation for the portion of work that Hydro Ottawa will complete. This information will be provided to you or your contractor, depending on the contact included when submitting the service request. Note: There is no capacity to host DERs on the feeders listed here.

Step 2 – Payment is required before Hydro Ottawa can commence work. Please note that service layouts are valid for 30 days.

Step 3 – Hydro Ottawa will coordinate with the customer to schedule work based on the service layout outlines. Please note that all preparatory work must be finished and the Electrical Safety Authority permit to energize must be received to allow for Hydro Ottawa to complete work and energize your system.

Step 1 – Complete a Preliminary Consultation Information Request (PCIR)

You will receive an email containing a Unique Case Number for your proposal. For all future communication, you must put this Unique Case Number in the subject line of the email.

Within 15 days, Hydro Ottawa will reply with a Preliminary Consultation Report (PCR), identifying if there is capacity on the grid for your proposal, as well as any technical, financial, or timeline considerations of your proposal. The preliminary consultation process does not consider the full range of technical evaluations that would be performed through a Connection Impact Assessment (detailed in Step 2 below). Capacity is only reserved upon completion of a successful Connection Impact Assessment, in accordance with Distribution System Code and DER Connection Procedures requirements.

Note: Hydro Ottawa does not offer flexible hosting capacity arrangements at this time.

Step 2 – Apply for a Connection Impact Assessment (CIA):

Complete the Connection Impact Assessment application form. Instructions to complete the form are available here - CIA Modification Guide and CIA Instructions. Please include the technical drawings plus submit payment. The application and drawings need to be stamped and signed by a Professional Engineer, currently licensed in the province of Ontario.

Once Hydro Ottawa deems your application complete, we will begin the CIA report. Within 60 days (minimum, longer for more complex projects) you will receive the completed report, outlining feasibility and pre-conditions of connection, along with a high-level cost estimate and a preview of the Offer-to-Connect terms. The CIA expires in six months.

If eligible – Simplified CIA

Step 3 – Apply to connect the DER:

Once you have reviewed the CIA and understand any pre-conditions outlined, you must formally notify Hydro Ottawa of your intent to proceed with your DER connection proposal. Please reply to the email thread in which you received the CIA, ensuring you include your Unique Case Number in the subject line. This notification must be sent within six months of the CIA issuance, as the CIA will expire after this period.

Upon receiving your confirmation, Hydro Ottawa will assign a dedicated Project Manager to your proposal. This Project Manager will guide you through the subsequent steps required to obtain your Offer to Connect.

Important Note: Please be aware that the completion of a CIA does not grant permission to begin construction of your DER. Construction approval will be provided separately by your assigned Project Manager after a site visit has been conducted.

Step 4 – Sign the Offer to Connect and return it with payment

To formally move forward with your DER project, you must sign the Offer to Connect (OTC) and return it to Hydro Ottawa along with the specified payment before the expiry date indicated on the OTC.

Upon receipt of the signed OTC and payment, this will start the process to bring your DER project through construction to in-service. As a key next step, Hydro Ottawa will arrange a pre-construction meeting. This meeting will ensure a clear understanding of the project scope, timeline, associated costs, the roles and responsibilities of all parties involved, and the applicable Hydro Ottawa standards.

Step 5 – Prepare your DER for commissioning

To prepare your DER connection, you will need to complete the commissioning process:

• Commissioning Plan: Use our Standard DER Commissioning Guide to create your project-specific commissioning plan. The applicant is responsible for ensuring that their protection adheres to the codes, standards, and legislation in place at the time of the application.
  • Simplified Commissioning Plan (If Applicable): For smaller, inverter-based projects (≤ 50 kW aggregate nameplate rating, no energy storage, no Metering Control Box [MCB]), a Simplified DER Commissioning Guide is available.
  • Hydro Ottawa Witnessing: Hydro Ottawa is required to witness the commissioning of your DER system. Please coordinate the scheduling of this with your Project Manager.
• Obtain ESA Connection Authorization: You must secure a Connection Authorization from the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA).
• Start Generating Power: Once your DER successfully passes commissioning and all necessary legal agreements with Hydro Ottawa are signed, you will receive authorization to officially begin electricity production. 

1. Micro-generation (10 kW AC or less)
   Account setup charge- $29
   MicroFIT Monthly service charge- $16 (per generator service point)
2. Generation more than 10 kW AC
   Account setup charge- $29
   FIT Monthly service charge- $84 (per generator service point)
   Administration charge*- $162
3. Hydroelectric Contract Initiative (HCI), Ontario Renewable Energy Standard Offer Program (RESOP) and Other Energy Resource
   Account setup charge- $29
   Monthly service charge- $347 (per generator service point)
   Administration charge*- $162
   * This one-time flat charge applies to all new energy resource facilities when contracts are assigned that require legal services and service entrance assessments by Hydro Ottawa.

Effective November 1, 2021, the Net-Metering monthly service charge no longer applies until further notice. Future adjustments may be required subject to provincial regulations and legislations, program intake, as well as administrative and operational needs.

1. Micro-generation (10 kW AC or less)

   Assessments to connect these Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) are complementary up to three assessments per premise per calendar year. Instructions for payment to connect the DERs are provided in the service layout.

2. Generation more than 10 kW AC

   DER Preliminary Consultation Information Requests (PCIR) - complementary up to three assessments per premise per calendar year

   DER Applications for projects greater than 10kW - Hydro Ottawa’s Connection Impact Assessment (CIA) costs are as follows (based on the total DER capacity within the premise):

   • Simplified CIA (single-phase inverter-based DER > 10kW and ≤ 30kW; three-phase inverter-based DER > 10kW and ≤ 50kW on < 10kV or > 10kW and ≤ 100kW on ≥ 15kV): $850 + HST = $960.50
   • Small generators (≤500 kW connected at <15kV , OR ≤1,000kW if connected at ≥ 15kV): $ 1,000 + HST = $1,130
   • Medium-sized generators (10 MW or less): $ 4,750 + HST = $ 5,367.50
   • Large generators (Greater than 10 MW): $ 5,700 + HST = $ 6,441

NOTE: Depending on your payment method, please follow the instructions below. There are different requirements for each payment method (Credit Card, EDI and Cheque). Currently, we are unable to accept payments by Interac (e-transfer).

• Online payment via Credit Card
  • Go to: https://ipn.paymentus.com/rotp/hotw
  • Choose  the “Service Invoice” option under Payment Type
  • The “Reference Number” field should be as follows: Unique Case Number  + CA.
  • Add zeros at the beginning to meet the 12-digit length requirement (example: 0000123456CA)
• EDI (via online banking)
  • If you are already set up as a payee with Hydro Ottawa, change the Hydro Ottawa customer account number to: Unique Case Number  + CA.
  • Add zeros at the beginning to meet the 20-digit length requirement (example: 000000000000123456CA)
• Cheque
  If you are not planning to include a hard copy of the paperwork along with the cheque, it is recommended that you submit the necessary paperwork to the DER team via email at [email protected] in advance to ensure timely processing.
  • Make cheque payable to Hydro Ottawa
  • Payment should be mailed to:
    Hydro Ottawa
    PO Box 8700
    Ottawa, Ontario
    K1G 3S4
    ATTN: Asset Planning - CIA Payment
  • DER Unique Case Number AND site address should be noted on the cheque memo line

Payment Notification: After payment has been made, regardless of method, you must send Proof of Payment to [email protected] and [email protected]. Please include your DER Unique Case Number and site address and any payment confirmation details (i.e. Paymentus confirmation). Hydro Ottawa only initiates the Connection Impact Assessment once payment confirmation is received.

A standby charge (fixed and variable) applies monthly for customers with load displacement generators greater than or equal to 500 kW. The variable standby charge is based on contracted standby demand (kW) and the difference of peak demand when the generator is on and peak demand when the generator is off multiplied by the applicable standby variable charge listed below. Where there is no contracted standby demand, the variable standby charge is based on the difference of peak demand when the load displacement generator is on and peak demand when the load displacement generator is off multiplied by the applicable standby variable charge.

Monthly service charge: $186.89

Variable charge - General service 50-1,499 kW customer: $2.4940/kW*

Variable charge - General service 1,500-4,999 kW customer: $2.2877/kW*

Variable charge - General service large user customer: $2.5388/kW*

*per kW or ∙∙∙∙∙∙kV·A of billed backup demand