DNO for Older System

Hi, I have a 4kW system fitted January 2015 so I get FIT generation & FIT export, I'm with Octopus for FIT & energy supplier. I've just had a Givenergy 8.2kW battery along with 2.4kW of panels today. I tried to apply for Octopus fixed export rate, I have the MCS for the old system but nothing else, I am waiting for the MCS & the DNO for the new system.
I tried to apply on the Octopus site but I got stuck when it came to the DNO, I can only select UNKNOWN - NOTIFIED - NOT NOTIFIED. No matter what I select it asks me to upload a copy of DNO letter but no info how I get this. The original installer no longer does solar & I don't think the DNO was required in 2015. My network is SP Energy but I'm not having any luck in finding anyone to contact.

Would appreciate any help/advice on getting a DNO approval letter.

Ed

EdW I’m pretty sure there wouldn’t have been any DNO approval for your original system as anything under 4kW doesn’t require DNO approval, which is part of why these FIT systems were all 4kW.
I have a 2016 4kW FIT system and I don’t believe the DNO was notified. Certainly no documentation from them.
Don’t think mine was MCS either.

Your installer should have put in for DNO approval for the new setup, and they shouldn’t have started the install without the approval. I got held up for a couple of months waiting for the DNO approval before the installer could start.

So ask your installer for the approval letter they already should have.

The DNO will need the approval number to issue the export MPAN you’ll need to start getting paid for export.

I am going to make an assumption here that you are on a Single Phase - where the electricity comes into the building there is 1 x Fuse Head which then connects to a Single Meter (3 phase would have 3 x Fuse Heads connected to 1-3 meters).

With 4kw + 2.4kw you are at a combined 6.4kw which is outside the 3.68kw installation for which the DNO application can be made within 30 days of installation.

So with the your existing system plus the increase in generation capacity your installer should have submitted some sort of DNO application.

I would suspect that at the absolute minimum they should have applied for a G99 Fast Track 10 working days BEFORE installation. The would essentially certify that your new equipment is setup to NOT export any energy back to the grid (as your pre-existing installation is already taking all that capacity).

You can always submit a Full G99 Application afterwards and by doing this you don't experience any delays as it can take upto 3 months for an answer depending on the DNO in addition to potentially costing you upto approx £900 (this is the maximum permissible charge the DNO can make)

You need to contact your installer about this.

FYI despite receiving DNO approval (under G99 Fast Track) our official DNO Letter still took about 2-3months to arrive so we could then apply for SEG (export) payments.