This distinction matters because it explains what we can influence and what we can't.
What DNO Renewables handles
- Application preparation and quality control
- Submission to the correct DNO under our engineering credentials
- Communication with the DNO during the application
- Chasing the DNO at appropriate intervals
- Technical queries from the DNO within our scope
- Document management (LOA, SLD, datasheets, photos)
- Customer updates through your portal
- Commissioning submission after installation
What the Distribution Network Operator handles
- Network assessment for the specific project location
- Engineering decisions on whether and how the project can connect
- Available connection capacity at the point of connection
- Approval decisions and connection offers
- Any reinforcement or design work needed on the network
- Charges raised by the DNO for their own work (assessment, design, connection, reinforcement)
- Their own internal timescales
Why it matters
We can prepare a clean, complete application quickly and follow up firmly. Once the application is with the DNO, the assessment is out of our hands. When someone asks us why an application is taking a long time, it's almost always because the DNO's queue is slow, not because our team hasn't acted.
For the fees side of this split, see Does the DNO charge a fee?