If the work is standard or you cannot do the work in isolation to our network, then we undertake all the design and construction work you require to connect you to our network.

For more information, read our Construction Terms (non-contestable and contestable) 1036KB PDF.

This is only for the extension component of the design and construction work built in isolation to our existing network. Choosing this approach in your connection offer means you have chosen to have an accredited external consultant or contractor (design and/or construction) to undertake this work.

Our project officer will issue the relevant specifications to you or your consultant, who will need to contract for a design and submit it to confirm compliance to our technical standards.

Once we approve the design, we will provide an Authority to Proceed (ATP) to your consultant or contractor to begin construction. During this, there will be further compliance checks before energisation so we can safely connect it to our network.

You should be aware that the works required to facilitate your connection will be non-contestable and we must carry out this task.

For more information, read our Construction Terms (non-contestable and contestable) 1036KB PDF.

We have local area managers that can help you.

 

Customer Solutions Manager	Area	Contact mobile number	Email address
Gavin O'Cadin	CBD and Inner Metro	0417 551 481	Gavin.OCadin@sapowernetworks.com.au
Mark McKell	Metro South and Fleurieu	0400 582 844	Mark.Mckell@sapowernetworks.com.au
Peter Damin	Metro North and Barossa	0419 444 917	Peter.Damin@sapowernetworks.com.au
Ben Trewartha	Country North	0419 787 696	Ben.Trewartha@sapowernetworks.com.au
Brian Van Hoof	Hills and Murray	0488 006 576	Brian.Vanhoof@sapowernetworks.com.au
John Riedel	South East	0403 582 274	John.Riedel@sapowernetworks.com.au
Tim Caddy	Metro West and Inner North	0403 582 308	Tim.Caddy@sapowernetworks.com.au

 

If your question relates to our Service & Installation Rules, you should contact our Network Connections Manager Martin Wilkes on 8404 4898 or at appointments@sapowernetworks.com.au

 

We are entitled under the National Electricity Rules to charge a fee to cover expenses directly and reasonably incurred in preparing Offers and Estimates in response to enquiries from customers. For smaller projects (expected value under $100,000), standard Preparation Fees apply based on the anticipated cost of the project. For large projects (project cost is likely to exceed $100,000), the Preparation Fee is based on our estimate of the actual cost to prepare the Offer or Estimate, including site inspection. Please note that this fee is non-refundable.

The design and construction of the electricity infrastructure works required to facilitate the new connection assets may involve Contestable Work. This means that you may call for tenders for this portion of work such that the work is undertaken by accredited third party contractors rather than SA Power Networks. Opting for a contestable approach is only applicable to the extension component of the design and construction work in isolation to our existing network.

An overview of the process in progressing Contestable Works is set out below. The complete description of the process and your rights is set out in section 39A of the Electricity (General) Regulations 2012. Please review that section in full to understand the precise scope of your rights and obligations.

• you have the right to request SA Power Networks prepare technical specifications for connection assets for your supply address and/or the extension to connect the supply address to our distribution network;
• the specifications we prepare must set out the general design parameters and operating requirements for the extension and/or the connection assets and must be sufficiently detailed to allow you to call for tenders;
• as a condition to us preparing that specification you must pay our reasonable fee;
• you may call for tenders based upon those specifications for the design and construction of the connection assets and/or the extension;
• tenderers must submit a separate amount for the design and construction of the connection assets and a separate amount for the design and undertaking of the extension;
• SA Power Networks must act reasonably in liaising with you and the successful tenderer concerning the design and construction of the connection assets and/or the extension;
• SA Power Networks are not obliged to agree to the use of a specific contractor if we reasonably form the view the contractor does not have the requisite skill and competence to undertake the work according to specifications or that the proposed design and construction does not meet the specifications. 

If you decide to undertake any of the Contestable Works, we may require a design to be completed to SA Power Networks specification prior to commencement of any construction (either by you in respect of the Contestable Works or us in respect of any Non-Contestable Works). An appropriately qualified design contractor you have engaged must provide us a precise scope of works to connect the Contestable Works to the existing distribution network.

Following SA Power Networks design approval authorising construction, the Contestable Works must achieve compliance with our Technical Standards and a Certificate of Completion issued before it can be energised.

You should be aware that the works required to facilitate your connection will be non-contestable and we must carry out this task.

For more information, read Part 2 of our Construction Terms available at this link: Construction Terms (Non-Contestable & Contestable) 3302

You can request two main types of offers in relation to the electricity infrastructure work for your Project. The type of offer you request will depend upon whether you want us to undertake all of the electricity infrastructure work in relation to the Project, or you elect to undertake a Contestable portion of the works.

A Project may have two Contestable portions: connection asset construction and extension works. You may undertake one or both portions.  It is usual for customers who decide to arrange contestable works to elect to undertake both portions.

All the Works

This option applies where you want SA Power Networks to undertake all of the electricity infrastructure work in relation to the Project. This work will include:

• Design and construction of your new connection assets.
• Design and construction of any extension to our existing distribution network which may be required to connect your new connection assets to our existing distribution network.
• All other work required to complete the connection of your new connection assets and/or extension to our existing distribution network and their commissioning and energisation.
• Our overall project management of this work.

Non-Contestable Work and (if applicable) balance of Contestable Work

This option applies where you elect to engage an appropriately qualified contractor to design and construct the Contestable components of the electricity infrastructure work for the Project (i.e. the design and construction of your new connection assets and any required extension to our existing distribution network).

Under this option our offer will relate to the Non-Contestable components of the electricity infrastructure work for the Project plus any Contestable portion you do not elect to do. The Non-Contestable work will include:

• Prepare a Design Specification for the Contestable Works.
• All work required to complete the connection of the new connection assets and/or extension to our existing distribution network and their commissioning and energisation.
• Compliance inspection and issuing of the ‘Certificate of Electrical Compliance’ (CEC) and ‘Certificate of Completion’ for the Contestable Works.
• Our overall project management of this work.

If you elect to undertake Contestable Works we may not be able to provide an offer for the works we are undertaking until a design has been completed to SA Power Networks specification or the appropriately qualified design contractor you have engaged has provided us a precise scope of works to connect the Contestable Works to the existing distribution network.

If you elect to do Contestable Work, you must also pay an additional non-refundable fee for the cost of preparing our technical specification for the design and construction of the Contestable Work for the Project.

Our specification preparation fee is based on our estimate of the likely cost of the Contestable Work for your Project and in the case of a large project (i.e. where the project cost is likely to exceed $100,000) our estimate of our actual cost to prepare the technical specification.

The Negotiated Connection Works Contract does not deal with the ongoing provision of services to you after completion of establishment or modification of a connection. That is the services of maintaining the connection, supplying electricity to you and accepting electricity your export.

Those matters are regulated by an Ongoing Connection and Supply Contract. These contracts may either be negotiated or deemed.

We have two deemed contracts. They come into effect automatically by law and do not have to be signed. The terms of the deemed contracts have been approved by the Australian Energy Regulator. You are eligible to enter into a deemed contract with us if:

• Your annual consumption at your supply address is less than 160 MWh per year and the export capacity of the generators (including batteries) you have at the supply address does not exceed 30 kVA; Our contract for this category of customer is accessible at this link: Model Terms & Conditions for Deemed Standard Connection Contract 3603.
• Your annual consumption at your supply address is less than 160 MWh per year but the export capacity of the generators (including batteries) you have at the supply address is greater than 30 kVA; In this case you may enter into a deemed contract for your load (accessible at the above link) but you will need to enter into a negotiated Ongoing Connection and Supply Contract for your generation.
• Your annual consumption at your supply address is equal to or more than 160 MWh per year, any export capacity of the generators (including batteries) you have at the supply address does not exceed 5MW and you are not acquiring any flexible load; In this case you may enter into a deemed contract for your load accessible this link: AER Approved – Deemed large connection contract - 3604, but you will need to enter into a negotiated Ongoing Connection and Supply Contract for your generation.

You do not have to enter into a deemed contract. You may elect to negotiate an Ongoing Connection and Supply Contract to apply in place of a deemed contract.

If you are not eligible to enter into a deemed contract with us then you must enter into a negotiated Ongoing Connection and Supply Contract as a condition to energisation of the new or upgraded connection being established under the Connection Works Contract.

You are entitled to request that we negotiate the terms of a negotiated Ongoing Connection and Supply Contract with you in good faith.  Note however that we are entitled by the National Electricity Rules to charge to cover our expenses directly and reasonably incurred in any such negotiations. This charge will comprise of our Technical Specialist charge out rate of quoted services for the time taken to negotiate.

Information on Flexible Connections can be found here:  Flexible connections for commercial and industrial customers