At a glance
Standalone systems, standalone rules
Quick answers
Horizon Power, quickly
Is Horizon Power part of the SWIS?
No. Horizon Power supplies regional and remote WA through standalone town systems that are not interconnected with the SWIS or with each other. Its Pilbara coastal network is the separate case, covered under the NWIS.
How does a Horizon Power connection start?
With an early enquiry - in small systems, feasibility is a conversation before it is a form. The formal step is Horizon Power's connection application form, with load and generation details.
How much renewable generation can a town microgrid host?
It is finite and actively managed - each town system's hosting capacity is assessed case by case, and the stability case for new inverter-based plant has to be made with genuine analysis.
What studies should I expect?
Bespoke scopes agreed with Horizon Power rather than a standard suite: generation-load balance, fault behaviour and control interaction in systems where a single plant can be a large fraction of total demand. For industrial loads, motor starting and power quality often lead the assessment.
What is generation management integration?
Connecting plant usually means integrating with Horizon Power's generation management, control and curtailment arrangements - a controls and communications scope that surprises proponents who budgeted only for the electrical works.
How long does a Horizon Power connection take?
Highly variable - small systems mean small queues but also limited headroom, and solutions sometimes wait on broader system upgrades. Treat timeline as a direct function of how early the feasibility conversation starts.
The pathway
Six steps, sized to the system
- Early enquiry with Horizon Power
In small systems, feasibility is a conversation before it is a form.
- Connection application
Horizon Power's connection application form, with load and generation details.
- System assessment
The impact of your plant on a small, often hybrid diesel-renewable system is assessed case by case; renewable hosting capacity in each town is finite and actively managed.
- Technical requirements
Generation management, control and communications interfaces, protection and power quality requirements sized to the system.
- Offer, agreement and works
Including any network extension or upgrade costs.
- Commissioning
Demonstration that the plant behaves within the microgrid's operating envelope.
Studies
Stability at small scale
Expect bespoke study scopes agreed with Horizon Power rather than a standard suite - power system studies.
The honest part
Where it gets hard
A town microgrid can only absorb so much inverter-based generation before stability and spinning-reserve questions dominate. The engineering case has to be made, not assumed - APD's islanded-systems work includes feasibility of importing up to 160 MW of solar and BESS into an islanded LNG operation.
Connecting plant usually means integrating with Horizon Power's control and curtailment arrangements - a controls and communications scope that surprises proponents who budgeted only for the electrical works. Communications engineering.
Official documents
Horizon Power's own pages
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Always confirm current requirements with the network directly.
Proof, not promises
APD off the big grid
Off-grid hybrid power
A standalone solar-hybrid system engineered and delivered in Horizon Power country.
The project →
Load management
Control-system engineering on islanded industrial power systems - the same class of problem as a town microgrid.
Mining & industrial →Keep navigating