The NC6 form is the notification form that tells ESB Networks your home has a micro-generator — solar panels, a small wind turbine, hydro, or micro-CHP — connected to the grid. Until it is processed, you cannot be paid for the electricity you export. In a normal solar installation your installer submits it for you; there is no fee. ESB Networks accepts the form online or by post, but no longer accepts emailed applications (verified on esbnetworks.ie, 3 June 2026).
What the NC6 Form Actually Does
Three things happen on the back of a processed NC6 form, and all three are needed before export payments can start:
- ESB Networks registers your micro-generator on the network — your home officially becomes an exporting connection.
- A smart meter gets arranged. If you're eligible and don't already have one, ESB Networks aims to install a smart meter within four months of processing a valid NC6.
- Your electricity supplier is informed. Once ESB Networks tells them your system is registered, your supplier can start paying you the Clean Export Guarantee rate for every kWh you export.
The form itself is short — it records your MPRN, your installer's details, and the technical specification of your system (panel capacity, inverter model). The inverter must comply with the IS EN50549-1 standard with current Irish settings, and a type test certificate proving this must accompany the application.
Who Submits It? (Your Installer Should)
Your solar installer is supposed to submit the NC6 form as part of the installation — the CRU's published process explicitly assigns this step to the registered installer, and every supplier's microgeneration page (Electric Ireland, Bord Gáis, Pinergy) says the same thing. A competent installer treats it as a routine part of the job, the same as the Safe Electric certificate.
This is worth checking before you hire. When you're comparing quotes, ask each installer directly: "Do you submit the NC6 form and the SEAI grant paperwork, or do I?" Any answer other than "we do" is a red flag — see our guide to vetting a solar installer.
How to Submit the NC6 Form
There are two accepted routes (per esbnetworks.ie, checked 3 June 2026):
| Route | How |
|---|---|
| Online (fastest) | ESB Networks' micro-generation application portal at newconnections.esbnetworks.ie |
| By post | Download the NC6 PDF from esbnetworks.ie (or call 1800 372 757 to request a copy) and post it to: ESB Networks DAC, NC6 Microgen Notifications, New Connections, Sarsfield Road, Wilton, Cork, T12 E367 |
| By email | No longer accepted — ESB Networks stopped processing emailed Microgen applications |
There is no charge. Connecting a micro-generator up to 6 kVA single phase (or 11 kVA three phase) is free under ESB Networks' "inform and fit" process, and your standing charge does not change.
NC6 or NC7 — Which Form Is Yours?
The form depends on system size, per the CRU:
| Form | System size | Typical install |
|---|---|---|
| NC6 | Up to 6 kW single phase, or up to 11 kW three phase | Nearly all residential solar — a 10–14 panel system on a family home |
| NC7 | Larger than NC6 limits, up to 50 kW | Farms, commercial roofs, large home systems |
If you're not sure which side of the line your planned system falls on, the kWp figure on your quote tells you — a 6 kWp system or smaller on a standard house connection is NC6 territory.
Installed Solar but Never Got Paid? Your NC6 May Be Missing
This is one of the most common reasons Irish solar homeowners receive no export payments: the system works, the panels generate, but the installer never submitted the NC6 — so as far as ESB Networks and your supplier are concerned, your micro-generator doesn't exist.
How to check and fix it:
- Ask your supplier first. If they have no record of your home as a microgeneration connection, the NC6 was probably never processed.
- Ask your installer to confirm in writing that they submitted it, and when.
- If it was never submitted, use ESB Networks' retrospective micro-generation registration process — it exists exactly for this situation. Either your installer submits the NC6 now, or you can do it yourself using the postal or online route above.
Payments are not backdated to your installation date if the form was never submitted — another reason to confirm it was done at install time rather than discovering the gap years later.
Every installer in the Solar Quotes Ireland network is SEAI-registered and submits the NC6 form and grant application as part of the job. One form, up to four free quotes for your county.
Get free quotes →Frequently Asked Questions
The NC6 form is ESB Networks' notification form for connecting a micro-generator — solar panels, a small wind turbine, hydro, or micro-CHP up to 6 kW single phase (11 kW three phase) — to the Irish electricity grid. Processing the form is what registers your home as an exporting connection, triggers your smart meter installation, and tells your electricity supplier to start paying you for exported electricity. There is no fee.
Your installer should fill in and submit the NC6 form as part of your solar installation — the CRU's published microgeneration process assigns this step to the registered installer. You can submit it yourself (online or by post to ESB Networks), but if you're paying for a professional installation, NC6 submission is part of what you're paying for. Confirm this before signing a contract.
ESB Networks does not publish a standard processing time for the NC6 form itself, but the milestone that matters — smart meter installation — is targeted within four months of a valid NC6 being processed. Export payments can begin once your smart meter is recording export data and your supplier has been informed. If you already have a smart meter, the gap between NC6 processing and first payment is typically one to two billing cycles.
No. ESB Networks no longer processes microgeneration applications sent by email. The two accepted routes are the online application portal at newconnections.esbnetworks.ie, or posting the completed PDF to ESB Networks DAC, NC6 Microgen Notifications, New Connections, Sarsfield Road, Wilton, Cork, T12 E367.
No. There is no charge for submitting the NC6 form and no charge for connecting a micro-generator up to 6 kVA single phase (or 11 kVA three phase) under ESB Networks' "inform and fit" process. Your electricity standing charge also stays the same after the connection.
You will not receive export payments — your supplier has no record that your home generates electricity. ESB Networks runs a retrospective micro-generation registration process for exactly this situation: the NC6 can be submitted now, by your installer or by you, and payments start once it's processed. Payments are not backdated to your installation date, so the gap costs you real money — check your NC6 status as soon as possible if you've had solar for months without seeing export credits on your bill.
Published: 3 June 2026. Author: Neil Russell. Process details verified against esbnetworks.ie and cru.ie on 3 June 2026. For what you get paid once registered, see Clean Export Guarantee rates and the full microgeneration guide.