Plug-in solar kits gain legal momentum across US states
Plug-in solar kits are expanding in the US as more than a dozen states pass laws or introduce bills allowing their use, according to The Verge.
The systems, sometimes called balcony solar, plug into a standard wall outlet and typically include solar panels and a microinverter that feeds power into the home’s electrical grid. The Verge said the kits turn solar power from a capital improvement starting at around $15,000 that requires contractors and permits into a consumer appliance starting at around $300 that can be hung from a balcony railing or propped against a wall without an electrician. Optional batteries start at about $500 for a 1kWh unit and $1,500 for 3kWh, and can power a refrigerator during blackouts.
The report said millions of European households, including an estimated 1.5 million in Germany, have bought plug-in solar systems in recent years, with Ikea even selling them. Popularity has grown as oil and gas prices surged after Russia invaded Ukraine and amid the current US war with Iran, while solar panel and battery prices fell to record lows. US consumers, however, face higher costs because of tariffs on panels and batteries and the elimination of solar tax credits.
In the US, utility regulations have historically treated small plug-in systems like massive rooftop arrays, but the legal picture is changing. Utah last year pioneered reclassifying plug-in solar as a small household appliance, according to The Verge. Plug-in solar is now legal in Virginia, Maine, Colorado, Maryland, New Jersey, Connecticut, Vermont, and New Hampshire. California and New York have legislation awaiting the governor’s signature, and another half-dozen states have introduced bills. In Europe, only Sweden and Hungary still prohibit the devices.
Safety rules in the states that have acted generally allow qualifying plug-in systems to be installed without utility preapproval, provided they meet safety requirements, prevent individual circuits from overloading, and shut down during a power outage to protect utility workers. European systems can feed as much as 800 watts into a home, while US states typically allow up to 1,200 watts.
The article’s author said he has run a 400-watt plug-in system on a rooftop deck in the Netherlands for 21 months. It produced 709 kilowatt-hours and saved about €225, or $260, nearly offsetting the purchase price of the kit. A larger $1,800 power station it plugs into has not yet been recouped, but the battery also enables off-grid use.
The Verge said European adoption will likely keep rising as long as solar and battery prices stay low, and US adoption could accelerate if California, the state with the highest residential electricity rates, signs plug-in solar into law.