Large commercial industrial and residential
Connecting your large site or residential development
If you’re building a large residential development (100 lots or more) or you’re building or upgrading a large commercial or industrial site (750kVA or more) contact us by filling in the form below.We’ll do an initial assessment of what will be required to connect you before you engage your Powerco-approved contractor to carry out the work.
Make sure you get in touch with us early in your planning process to avoid delays.
How much network upgrade work is required will depend on factors like how much power your site needs, where our network is in relation to your site and who else is already using power in the area. If your project needs our National Grid operator Transpower to upgrade one of their Grid Exit Points, design and construction can take several years.
Here’s an indication of what you can expect:
6 - 12 months to build a network line or cable to deliver electricity to your site.
18 - 24 months to upgrade one of our substation's transformers.
24 - 36 months to upgrade switchboards or construct substation housing.
12 - 24 months to upgrade a circuit that connects one of our substations to a Transpower substation.
2 - 4 years to upgrade a Transpower Grid Exit Point.
You’ll find an overview of the design and construction process below.
Design and construction process
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Step 1
Your initial enquiry
Your first step will be to fill in our Capacity Availability Enquiry Form and we'll do an an initial assessment of whether there's existing capacity to support your site, or if network development will be required.
- If network development is not required you'll proceed with our standard connection process, and work with a Powerco-approved contractor to design and build the connection between your site and our network.
- If network development is required, you'll proceed with our major customer works process.
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Step 2
Exploring your electricity supply options
Once we've confirmed network development is required to connect you, we'll go through a process of exploring your electricity supply options and designing the solution.
High level review
We'll ask you to fill in our Significant Customer Information Form and we'll complete a preliminary assessment of network development solutions to connect your site.
Feasibility assessment
A feasibility assessment may be required for all or part of your project if the outcome of the high-level review has identified several network configuration options. The assessment will review each option and make final recommendations. You'll be responsible for the costs of conducting a feasibility assessment, and you'll sign an Advance Works Agreement with us before it is carried out. Security of supply risks and trade-off options will also be identified as part of your feasibility assessment.
Read more about risks and trade-offs
Concept design
The network development is now designed to meet your requirements. We may attribute some of the capital investment costs to you.
Detailed design
You may opt to have a detailed design carried out following the concept design. The detailed design will give you more assurance around the costs and risks of the project.
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Step 3
Confirming the solution and costs
Once the design is finalised you'll sign a Works Agreement with us before we start delivery. The Works Agreement gives us the go ahead to proceed with your project/s. -
Step 4
Building your electricity supply
The project is now handed over to the project team for delivery. We'll price and award the construction to a contractor and will work with them to complete all necessary work. Depending on size and complexity, the work may be phased as a series of smaller projects. The new assets are tested and livened, then handed over to our teams for ongoing monitoring and maintenance.
You'll now have electricity supply to your site.
Your service connection
While the network development is carried out, you'll need to arrange your service connection which will connect your site to our network.
You'll need to engage a Powerco-approved contractor to price, design and carry this work out for you and you'll be responsible for all costs.
You'll also need to work with a retailer to have meters installed to track and pay for your electricity consumption.