- Region
- North West England
- Typical timeline
- 13-17 wk
- Application fee
- £300-500
- Network Study
- Above ~400 kW typical
What's distinctive about ENW
Active in voltage rise assessment on weaker network sections; sometimes requires Network Study for installs above 400 kW; strong on protection settings clarification.
For FE college solar projects in North West England, this means three planning considerations: (1) start the G99 application within the first 8 weeks of project kickoff — the DNO timeline is typically the critical-path item; (2) factor Network Study fees into the Salix energy savings calculation where installs are above 400 kW; (3) prepare the protection coordination documentation in detail with the design package, which speeds first technical response.
Electricity North West (ENW) processing performance
Practical tips for ENW college solar applications
Pre-application meetings highly recommended for installs above 250 kW. ENW publishes annual Network Development Plan — useful for flagging upcoming reinforcement work that affects connection capacity.
FE colleges in ENW territory
We've worked with G99 connections for installs at FE colleges across the ENW network. Named providers in this territory include:
- LTE Group (Manchester College)
- Trafford College Group
- Salford City College
- Bury College
- Bolton College
- Burnley College
- Lancaster & Morecambe College
- Myerscough College (Preston)
- Reaseheath College (Nantwich)
Project sequencing with ENW
- Week 0-2: Pre-application call with ENW (recommended for installs above 250 kW); confirm point of connection and electrical design baseline.
- Week 3-4: Submit G99 application with full design package (single-line diagram, protection scheme, anti-islanding documentation, inverter specification).
- Week 5-11: ENW technical review; clarifications addressed within 5-10 working days each round.
- Week 12-17: Network Study (if required) and connection agreement issued.
- Build phase: Per project programme — physical install scheduled into summer break window.
- Commissioning: ENW witness testing — typically a single day; arranged 2-4 weeks after physical commissioning.