Dominion Energy: notification and meter behavior

What Dominion actually requires

For an HB 395–compliant system — UL 3700, 1,200 W AC or less, connected via a standard outlet — Dominion does not require:

• An interconnection agreement (Schedule 19 or otherwise).
• An external disconnect switch.
• A meter change.
• An inspection or service call.

This is a deliberate policy choice. Dominion's grid modernization team concluded during the 2024 stakeholder work group that adding interconnection review for <1,200 W systems would cost more in administration than it would return in grid-planning value.

What its meter does with a small backfeed

Almost every Dominion residential customer now has a smart meter (the AMI rollout is largely complete). Those meters are digital and non-reversing — when your solar output briefly exceeds your household draw, the meter counts the exported energy as consumed, not as production.

In plain English: any solar output that flows onto the grid instead of powering your fridge is given to Dominion for free. This is the practical reason to size your system for your typical daytime baseline load — see cost and ROI.

The voluntary notification form

Dominion published its voluntary notification form in April 2026 as part of its SCC Case No. PUR-2025-00089 filing. It asks for:

• Service address and account number.
• Manufacturer and model of the panel(s) and microinverter.
• Rated AC output.
• Attached UL 3700 certificate.
• Installation date.

The form goes to dg-notify@dominionenergy.com. Turnaround is typically under a week for an acknowledgment; Dominion does not "approve" the installation.

Why to notify anyway

Voluntary doesn't mean pointless. Three reasons to submit the form:

1. Insurance. Some homeowners' policies ask whether the utility has been notified of any generation equipment. A "yes" with paperwork is easier than a "no."

2. Outage attribution. If a neighborhood outage occurs, Dominion's operations team can rule your circuit out faster if they know a solar system is present.

3. Future policy. The SCC has signaled that if plug-in solar adoption exceeds ~1% of residential customers on any feeder, mandatory registration may be revisited. Voluntary data now shapes that decision.

What not to do

• Don't request a bidirectional meter — Dominion doesn't install them for HB 395 systems.
• Don't ask for a net metering agreement — HB 395 systems aren't eligible.

• Don't chain multiple <1,200 W kits to work around the cap. The cap is per residence, not per outlet.

Related Reading

• Read our news report on the initial filing of Dominion Energy's draft customer notification process.
• Understand why plug-in solar does not receive bill credits in exclusion from net metering schedules.
• For Western Virginia utility rules, see our guide to Appalachian Power notification policies.