A Qualifying Facility (QF) is a special renewable energy interconnection. There is no limit to the size of QF system, but its overall system capacity may not exceed the load at the location where it is installed.
QF systems are a bit different from net metering systems in that with a QF there is no “banking” of excess energy your system generates. You are either using the energy at your location or sending it back to the grid.
Compensation for QF systems is managed through our power supplier, Prairie Power, Inc (PPI). If your system is 100 kW or smaller, you will have the ability to choose whether you want to sell back energy to PPI. If the system is larger than 100 kW, you must agree to sell back your excess energy to PPI. To do that, PPI will install special metering equipment (estimated cost of $9,000) and they will charge a monthly monitoring fee of around $85. This is in addition to WIEC’s normal monthly billing charges.
STEP 1
Contact us at 800-576-3125 to let us know you are interested in a system. Member MUST come by our office at 524 N Madison Street, Carthage, Illinois to pick up a solar packet and a WIEC employee will explain the process necessary to interconnect with WIEC’s energy grid.
- WIEC Solar Information Packet Confirmation
(WIEC Employee will go over this information when member picks up the solar packet at WIEC’s office)
STEP 2
Provide us with the following information:
- Signed Interconnection Application Agreement (Attachment A) – Policy 526
- Interconnection Application Fees Agreement (Attachment C) – Policy 526
- Owner Certification of Qualifying Facility Under Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act – Policy 527QF
- FERC Form 556
- Standard or Waived QF Optionality Agreement (Attachment B) – Policy 527QF
- One-line diagram of your system
- Site plan for the proposed system
- Specification sheets for solar panels & inverters
- Proof of $1 million insurance policy coverage (sample)
- $500 application fee (non-refundable)
- $1000 Engineering study fee
STEP 3
We will study your application materials to determine its impact on our system. Based on the size and your location, there may be additional engineering study fees, construction fees, and other utilities may have to determine impact on their system as well. Once the potential system is approved, we will let you know so your contractor/installer can begin the installation.
Provide us with the following information:
STEP 4
Once installed, but before the system is turned on and energized, please contact WIEC at 800-576-3125.
We will inspect your system and may need to install some special metering equipment. Once inspected and everything completed member will need to sign a Qualifying Facility Service Contract and an Authorization to Energize Agreement. Once both agreements are signed by the member, the member or installer can then fully energize the system.
- Interconnection and Parallel Operation of Distributed Generation Agreement (Attachment D) – Policy 526
- Authorization to Energize Agreement (Attachment E) – Policy 526
Policy 526 – Interconnection and Parallel Operation of Distributed Generation
Policy 527QF – Qualifying Facilities Interconnection of and Service under Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA)