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Atlantic City Electric (ACE) handles every residential solar and solar+battery interconnection in South Jersey through one umbrella program — "My Green Power Connection." If you live in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester, Camden, Burlington, or southern Ocean County, this is the workflow your installer will use to get your system approved and granted permission to operate. The friction usually is not the program itself — it is that ACE exposes four separate tools (How to Apply, Hosting Capacity Map, Restricted Circuit Map, and Acceptable Inverters) and most homeowners do not know which one to use at which step.

Are you interested in installing battery storage in Long Island, NY? Take a look at that page.

As of April 30, 2026: ACE continues to roll out its multi-year Powering the Future grid upgrades, which are reopening previously restricted circuits in South Jersey for new solar interconnections. Verify the status of your specific address before designing a system. Solar in Freehold does not use ACE.

• Green Power Connection is ACE's single umbrella program for solar and solar+battery interconnection in South Jersey — there is no separate "battery interconnection" track.
• Most residential rooftop projects go through ACE's Apply Online portal; paper applications are reserved for non-standard equipment, multi-meter sites, or contractor wet-signature workflows.
• Use the ACE Hosting Capacity Map to pre-screen your address before designing a system — green feeders typically clear screens, amber may require a deeper review, and red indicates a constrained circuit.
• The Restricted Circuit Map is a stricter, binary filter — restricted does not always mean "never," but it usually means waiting for ACE infrastructure upgrades or adding non-export storage controls.
• Adding a battery rarely changes the NJBPU review level on its own, but it adds documents (UL 9540 listing, single-line diagram, operating-mode statement) and can be the workaround for a constrained circuit.
• A typical residential solar+battery project on an open circuit takes about 2–4 months from application submission to permission to operate under N.J.A.C. 14:8-5.

What is Atlantic City Electric's "Green Power Connection" program?

Green Power Connection is Atlantic City Electric's umbrella program covering every residential, small-commercial, and community solar interconnection in South Jersey — including projects that include battery storage. It is not an incentive program and it does not pay you anything; it is the permitting and interconnection workflow you must complete before ACE will let your system push power to (or import controlled power from) the grid.

ACE serves roughly 2,700 square miles of southern New Jersey and about 556,000 customers across Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester, Camden, Burlington, and southern Ocean counties. Whether your home is in Atlantic City, Vineland, Mays Landing, Cape May Court House, Hammonton, Pleasantville, or Egg Harbor Township, the same workflow applies. The program exposes four tools that, used in the right order, will tell you almost everything you need to know about whether — and how fast — your project can move forward: How to Apply, the Hosting Capacity Map, the Restricted Circuit Map, and the Acceptable Inverter list.

Should you apply online or by paper for an ACE solar interconnection?

Apply online for most residential rooftop solar and solar+battery projects; reserve the paper path for non-standard equipment, multi-meter sites, or contractor wet-signature workflows. Both paths feed the same N.J.A.C. 14:8-5 review and lead to the same Level 1 / Level 2 / Level 3 timing thresholds — the difference is intake speed and document handling, not approval criteria.

The online portal is faster mostly because data entry is cleaner: ACE's intake team does not have to transcribe addresses, equipment specs, or homeowner authorizations from a printed packet, which means the complete-or-incomplete notice usually arrives sooner. Paper is not "second class" — it is sometimes required, particularly when an installer needs original wet signatures, when a project requires waivers or interconnection negotiation, or when the equipment package is non-standard enough that a single mailed envelope of cut sheets is genuinely easier to evaluate than uploaded PDFs.

Key takeaway: Default to Apply Online for a typical South Jersey rooftop project; switch to paper only when the project's equipment, contracting, or signature requirements force it.

How do you use the ACE hosting capacity map before applying?

Use the ACE Hosting Capacity Map to pre-screen your address before designing a system — its color-coded feeders tell you whether a typical residential project will clear ACE's interconnection screens or trigger a deeper review. The map is published as a public ArcGIS-style web map covering every ACE feeder and circuit, with a periodic refresh as upgrades complete and as new DERs come online.

What the map colors mean for your project

Green means the feeder has capacity available — a typical residential rooftop solar project will almost certainly clear ACE's screens. Amber or yellow means capacity is limited, so a deeper review may be triggered, the project may have to contribute toward an upgrade, or you may need to size the system more conservatively. Red means the circuit is constrained or restricted, and a standard exporting interconnection will not pass screens until ACE unlocks more capacity.

When pre-screening matters most

Pre-screening matters before you sign a contract, before your installer orders equipment, and before you commit to a specific system size. A green pre-screen lets the design proceed without surprises. An amber or red pre-screen lets you make an informed choice — accept potential delays, redesign the system around non-export storage, or pick a different timeline tied to ACE's Powering the Future upgrade schedule. The map is a pre-screen, not a guarantee; ACE evaluates the actual application against current circuit conditions at submission time, and conditions can change between checks.

What does the ACE restricted circuit map mean for a New Jersey solar project?

A circuit on ACE's Restricted Circuit Map cannot accept additional standard exporting solar interconnections until ACE completes upgrades — but that does not always end the project. The Restricted Circuit Map is a binary block (this circuit is closed to new standard interconnections), where the Hosting Capacity Map is a gradient pre-screen (this circuit has X capacity left). Together they tell you whether your address is open, tight, or hard-blocked.

Circuits become restricted because of saturated DER, voltage rise, or fault-current concerns. ACE's Powering the Future capital program — about $93.1 million approved in 2023 and running through roughly 2027 — is funding capacity-creating upgrades like substation expansion, line reconductoring, and voltage regulators specifically to reopen restricted feeders and accommodate thousands more residential solar arrays. Restricted is not necessarily forever; it usually means waiting on a capital project, not a permanent denial.

If your circuit is restricted today, you have three realistic paths:

1. Wait for ACE to complete the upgrade. Reopen events follow capital project completion, and ACE cannot guarantee a date.
2. Sign your installer's internal documents, get the system designed and permitted, and queue your application so you are early when the circuit reopens.
3. Switch the design to a battery-paired system using non-export or limited-export controls so the system does not push power onto the constrained feeder. ACE evaluates these case-by-case under Level 2/3 review.

How does battery storage change the ACE interconnection application?

Adding battery storage rarely changes the NJBPU review level by itself, but it adds three required documents and unlocks operating modes that can clear an otherwise constrained circuit. The same N.J.A.C. 14:8-5 framework applies — Level 1 if the AC inverter nameplate stays at or below 10 kW, Level 2 above that — but the application package gets longer.

Storage adds three things to the package. First, the battery's UL 9540 (and where applicable UL 9540A) listing, which ACE uses to confirm system-level safety. Second, an updated single-line diagram showing the PV array, the battery, the controls, and the disconnect at the point of common coupling. Third, an operating-mode statement that declares whether the system is AC-coupled or DC-coupled and whether it operates in full export, partial export, or non-export mode. Non-export controls — a hybrid inverter export limit, a production-meter relay, or a similar control — are the tool that turns a restricted-circuit address into an approvable project.

Two other things travel with a battery application. Anti-islanding is already covered by the inverter's UL 1741 listing, but ACE may still ask for the manufacturer's anti-islanding statement in writing. And fire-code compliance — NEC Article 706 (Energy Storage Systems), plus New Jersey's adoption of NFPA 855 clearances and signage — must be addressed in the design before the local AHJ inspection.

What are ACE's acceptable inverters and why does it matter?

ACE's Acceptable Inverter list pre-confirms which models meet UL 1741 and IEEE 1547 — choosing one shaves weeks off Level 1 review because the applicant skips equipment-certification scrutiny. The list is maintained as a public Green Power Connection page and is updated periodically as new firmware and models clear UL 1741-SB testing.

An on-list inverter signals two things to ACE. The first is a paperwork shortcut: the applicant does not have to submit certification evidence, and the review starts from a clean equipment baseline. The second is a quality signal — every model on the list has confirmed anti-islanding, voltage and frequency ride-through, and (for UL 1741-SB) reactive-power, voltage-regulation, and ramp-rate functions required by the modern grid code. If your installer chooses an off-list inverter, you can still get approved, but you must submit certification evidence and ACE's review pauses while it evaluates the model.

How long does ACE take to approve a solar interconnection in 2026?

A standard residential solar+battery project in ACE territory in 2026 typically takes 2–4 months from application submission to permission to operate, assuming an open circuit and an on-list inverter. The application itself is the fast part — most of the calendar time is permitting, the install, and the inspection sequence.

Here is the realistic step-by-step timeline for a typical ACE solar+battery project:

1. Pre-screen the address against ACE's Hosting Capacity Map and Restricted Circuit Map.
2. Choose an inverter from ACE's Acceptable Inverter list.
3. Confirm system size keeps Level 1 eligibility (≤10 kW inverter AC nameplate) where possible.
4. Assemble the application package: single-line diagram, equipment cut sheets (PV modules, inverter, battery), site plan, signed homeowner authorization, UL 9540 listing for the battery, and an operating-mode statement.
5. Submit through ACE Apply Online (or paper if required for the project).
6. Respond to ACE's complete-or-incomplete notice (typically within 3 business days) with any corrections.
7. Receive Level 1 (or Level 2) approval; pull AHJ electrical and building permits.
8. Install the system. Do not energize the export side until PTO is granted.
9. Pass AHJ electrical and building inspection; submit signed inspection or certificate of completion to ACE.
10. ACE issues PTO; you may energize the system and start exporting (or storing) per the approved operating mode.

What slows the timeline: a circuit on the Restricted Circuit Map, an off-list inverter, incomplete cut sheets, a system size that crosses out of Level 1 and triggers a Level 2 study, or an AHJ permit backlog (which varies meaningfully across Atlantic, Cape May, and Burlington counties). What speeds it up: the online portal, an on-list inverter, and a clean single-line diagram submitted with the first application instead of after a correction round.

Key takeaway: 2–4 months is the realistic window for an open-circuit residential job in 2026; expect 6+ months when storage triggers a Level 2 study or when the circuit needs upgrades.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Atlantic City Electric Solar Interconnection in New Jersey

Do I have to apply online or can I still mail my ACE solar interconnection application?

You can still mail it. ACE's Apply by Paper path remains active for non-standard equipment, multi-meter sites, projects requiring waivers, or contractor workflows that need wet signatures. For a typical residential rooftop solar or solar+battery project with an on-list inverter, the Apply Online portal is faster because data entry is cleaner and ACE issues the complete-or-incomplete notice sooner. Either path enters the same NJBPU-mandated Level 1 / Level 2 review under N.J.A.C. 14:8-5.

How do I find out if my South Jersey address is on a restricted circuit?

Use ACE's Restricted Circuit Map and Hosting Capacity Map together. The Restricted Circuit Map flags feeders that cannot accept additional standard exporting interconnections. The Hosting Capacity Map shows remaining capacity by color — green typically passes screens, amber suggests limited capacity, red indicates a constrained feeder. Both maps are refreshed as ACE completes Powering the Future grid upgrades, so a circuit that was red six months ago may be green today.

My circuit is restricted. Is my solar project dead?

No. You have three real options. First, you can sign your installer's contracts, get the system designed and permitted, and queue your application so you are early when ACE reopens the circuit through Powering the Future upgrades. Second, you can wait — capacity is being added every quarter as substations and feeders are upgraded. Third, you can switch the design to a battery-paired system using non-export or limited-export controls; because the system would not push power onto the constrained feeder, ACE often approves these case-by-case under Level 2/3 review.

Does adding a battery slow down my ACE application?

Usually no. Storage adds three documents (UL 9540 listing, a single-line diagram showing PV plus battery plus controls, and an operating-mode statement) but it rarely changes the NJBPU review level. Most residential solar+battery designs stay at or below 10 kW AC inverter nameplate, which keeps the project on the Level 1 path with its 10-business-day approval window after a complete application. Storage only slows things down when the inverter pushes nameplate above 10 kW or the equipment is not on ACE's Acceptable Inverter list.

Why does my installer keep saying my inverter has to be "on the list"?

Because choosing an inverter from ACE's Acceptable Inverter list lets the application skip equipment-certification scrutiny and stay on the fast Level 1 path. The list pre-confirms that the model meets UL 1741 / UL 1741-SB and IEEE 1547-2018 smart-inverter requirements (anti-islanding, voltage and frequency ride-through, reactive power, ramp rate). If you pick an off-list inverter, you can still get approval, but you have to submit certification evidence and the review pauses while ACE evaluates it.

How long does ACE take from application submission to permission to operate in 2026?

For a standard residential solar+battery project on an open circuit with an on-list inverter, plan on 2–4 months from application submission to PTO. The application itself is approved in roughly 2–3 weeks (Level 1) or 3–4 weeks (Level 2). After that, you need AHJ electrical and building permits and inspections, the install itself, and ACE's PTO authorization (regulation says within 5 business days of a passed inspection; in practice 1–2 weeks). Restricted circuits, off-list equipment, or incomplete cut sheets can stretch this to 6+ months.

How Powerlutions Manages ACE Green Power Connection Paperwork for South Jersey Homes

Powerlutions runs the entire ACE interconnection workflow for South Jersey homeowners — pre-screening the circuit on the Hosting Capacity and Restricted Circuit maps, picking an acceptable-list inverter, sizing the system to keep Level 1 eligibility where possible, filing through ACE Apply Online, and pushing through PTO after the AHJ inspection. If your address is on a restricted circuit, we will tell you up front and walk you through the realistic options, including non-export storage configurations that can sometimes clear the feeder.

If you are a homeowner in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester, Camden, Burlington, or southern Ocean County and you want a clean, fast ACE interconnection without managing the paperwork yourself, email info@powerlutions.com or call 732-987-3939 for a quote.