Panels went up on your Orlando-area roof, but the power never came on — and the loan bills anyway. The missing piece is almost always Permission to Operate, or PTO. Who grants it depends on whether OUC, Duke Energy, or KUA serves your home, and each one runs its own process.
There are panels on your roof, but your electric bill never changed and the monitoring app never lit up. If your solar is not connected in Orlando, the missing step is almost always Permission to Operate — PTO for short. Until your utility issues it, your system is not allowed to produce power.
PTO is your utility's written approval to turn the system on. It only comes after the big steps are done: the interconnection application, the installation itself, a passed inspection from your local building department, and the utility's own review. Skip any one of those, and the system sits dark — legally off.
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Every section in this article, and what each one covers
1.Solar not connected in Orlando? PTO is the missing stepTwo paragraphs, naming PTO.
2.OUC, Duke Energy, and KUA: three utilities, three processesTwo paragraphs and a three-item list (OUC (Orlando Utilities Commission); ...), naming the Orlando Utilities Commission, the Kissimmee Utility Authority and PTO.
3.How to check your PTO status with each utilityOne paragraph and a five-item list (Search your email for "Permission; Call your utility and ask; ...), naming PTO.
4.Why the loan bills even though the power never came onTwo paragraphs and a callout, naming PTO and PACE.
5.What an unfinished interconnection can mean legallyTwo paragraphs, a five-item list (Non-performance; The FTC Holder Rule; ...) and three links to other guides, naming Chapter 7, Chapter 11 and the FTC Holder Rule.
6.How we document a no-PTO systemTwo paragraphs and four links to other guides, naming $99.
Also on this page
an opening passage above the first heading (1 paragraph)
three checklists (13 items in all)
7 links to other guides
one callout
an FAQ (4 questions)
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How do I check my solar PTO status with OUC or Duke Energy?
Start with the utility's solar or interconnection team. Ask if there is an approved interconnection agreement for your address and whether PTO was issued. Also search your email for "Permission to Operate" and check whether your solar permit was ever closed out with the City of Orlando or your county building department.
Can my solar loan bill me before the system is connected?
Yes, and it happens a lot. Most solar loans start billing when the install is finished, not when the utility grants PTO. If the installer set up the financing, the FTC Holder Rule notice is the clause that matters here; what it means for one loan is a question for a Florida attorney. Document the missing PTO and talk to an attorney before you stop paying.
Who issues PTO in Kissimmee?
KUA — the Kissimmee Utility Authority. It is a municipal utility with its own interconnection process, separate from OUC and Duke Energy. The installer submits the interconnection request, and KUA's sign-off comes after the local building inspection.
Is it legal to turn my solar on without PTO?
No. A system is not allowed to produce power until the utility issues Permission to Operate. If someone told you to just flip the system on without PTO, get that in writing and add it to your documentation.
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