“NOVA Power Portal™ streamlined the interconnection process and organized the many active and completed DER Applications Minnesota Valley Electric Cooperative (MVEC) receives. There are many factors contributing to the success MVEC has had with NOVA Power Portal™. First, the Document Library allows MVEC to store relevant and up-to-date DER information in one place for internal and external reference. The process step tracking and timelines allow for increased accountability for both installers and MVEC and help to keep up with applications as they move from review to interconnection at different paces. Many internal processes were built around these steps, allowing for a better process flow and easier communication between MVEC team members. The Review Screens help our engineers assess and review each application uniformly, capturing all necessary information. They also ensure that info provided is not overlooked and matches internal utility records and information. Creation of DER Uniform Contracts handled through the Portal is straightforward and hassle-free and allows for many applications to be processed and sent to interconnection customers efficiently.

 The STAR support team is another boon to the NOVA Power Portal™. When questions about the system arise, the support team quickly responds and actively tries to understand the problem to find the root cause. They are willing to explain how the portal works and pass that understanding along to the installers and members. Training led by STAR is informative and helpful for understanding how new technical requirements and legislation affect the Portal and updates made to it. When further guidance is needed, it has always been a quick and easy process to reach out to STAR for that clarification.”

— Kyle Neal, Distribution Engineer