By Dana Drugmand
November 7, 2025
Photo courtesy of Bright Saver
When most people think of solar energy, they think of rows of photovoltaic (PV) panels on rooftops or vast solar farms out in the desert. But portable plug-in solar devices small enough to generate power right off a balcony could be coming to an area near you.
Earlier this year, Utah became the first state in the country to enact legislation allowing for the adoption of portable solar—small solar PV systems that are designed to be plugged into a standard wall outlet. These plug-in units are already in widespread use in Germany, and interest is growing in the United States to incorporate them in rules governing electric generation.
The bill in Utah, introduced by Republican state lawmaker Raymond Ward, creates an exemption from interconnection requirements for portable solar devices, meaning there is no need to go through your electric utility before you start generating power. Since the amount of generation is relatively small, there is also no requirement for net metering (whereby the utility must credit customers for excess power they supply to the grid). The intention is to increase access to affordable and clean energy for people who otherwise would not be positioned or inclined to go solar. Utah’s bill passed with unanimous bipartisan support.
“That became the model that we’ve since used for other states,” Kevin Chou, cofounder and executive director of Bright Saver, a nonprofit that has been leading efforts to facilitate plug-in solar adoption in the US, told Sierra. The organization has been in active discussions with over a dozen states, and several have already introduced or announced plans for legislation similar to Utah’s.
State lawmakers in New York and Pennsylvania recently filed plug-in solar bills. Analogous legislation is expected to be introduced in January in both Vermont and New Hampshire. Chou said two other states are slated to announce bills within the next few weeks.
Energy affordability has become a top concern in many states, so something that allows consumers to shave a little off their electric bill is certainly appealing, Chou noted. That, along with the fact that the federal government has now effectively eliminated clean energy subsidies and programs and is actively trying to thwart solar and wind development, is why Chou thinks that plug-in solar “has become such a popular movement this year.”
Solar photovoltaic energy technology has been around for decades, but the portable plug-in version has only just recently entered the marketplace. It first took off in Germany, where it started to see widespread adoption over the last couple of years as energy prices spiked in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The term balcony solar came about after these systems became popularized by apartment dwellers hanging them off their balconies.
The technology itself is fairly simple, consisting typically of one or two panel units with inverters that plug into a standard electrical outlet. Installation or setup is designed to be easy, no electrician needed. In Germany, Chou said the systems are limited to 800 watts, but model legislation in the US allows for units of up to 1,200 watts (1.2 kilowatts). A system that size can power many common household appliances and other residential uses, although some large loads like electric vehicles or air conditioning would require more power.
Since the power generated goes back into your household wiring, it reduces the amount of electricity you would need to pull from the grid, partially offsetting residential electrical consumption. With rising energy rates, plug-in solar therefore provides an enticing opportunity to help save money, supporters say.
“For a lot of people, they’re just going to make an economic choice,” Chou said. “That’s what we see happening in Germany, and that’s what we’re trying to unlock here in the US as fast as possible.”
Portable or plug-in solar systems are not yet widely available in the United States, and they currently retail at $1,000 or more. But Chou said he expects to see more manufacturers roll out products over the coming years, especially as other states join Utah in enacting supportive legislation.
Last week Pennsylvania Democratic state representative Chris Pielli introduced a plug-in solar bill (H.B. 1971) that already has bipartisan backing from co-prime sponsors Representatives Elizabeth Fiedler, a Democrat, and Mark Gillen, a Republican.
“Plug-in solar will give renters, apartment dwellers, and homeowners a way to generate some of their own power and cut monthly costs,” Pielli said. “This isn’t about politics; it’s about putting money back in family budgets and giving people control over their energy in whatever space they have.”
Gillen said he is “proud to support legislation that empowers more Pennsylvanians to take control of their energy use.”
New York state lawmakers introduced a similar bill in September. Senator Liz Krueger and assembly member Emily Gallagher, both Democrats, are lead sponsors of the legislation, which is titled the Solar Up Now New York (SUNNY) Act.
“Plug-in solar energy provides an incredible opportunity for New Yorkers—especially tenants and apartment dwellers—to harness the power of the sun to take control of their energy production, decrease their energy bills, and reduce their carbon footprint,” Gallagher said in a statement. “We have to dramatically increase our reliance on solar energy if we are to address climate change and get utility costs under control, and this bill is an important step in shifting our trajectory.”
Vermont is also working on plug-in solar legislation and is expected to roll it out in January at the start of the next legislative session. Environmental and clean energy advocates held a press conference in September to kick off a campaign rallying behind the legislation, which will be sponsored by Democratic state senator Anne Watson.
“We want more options for those people who have largely been left out of the clean energy transition so far,” said Ben Edgerly Walsh, climate and energy program director at Vermont Public Interest Research Group. He said he is hoping that Vermont can swiftly follow Utah’s lead and “become the second state to make these small plug-in systems available by next year.”
“Seeing Utah pass a bill like this unanimously and in a bipartisan way, that support underscores I think how doable this bill is going to be,” Watson said.
Plug-in solar bills are likely to be introduced in a number of other states soon as well. “We’ve been very lucky to get red states, blue states, purple states, all in the mix for 2026,” Chou said.
California, which has led the nation in residential rooftop solar adoption and remains the largest solar market in the country, is “one of our top priority states” for expanding access to plug-in solar, he said. But given that electric utilities have tended to push back against new solar policies, Bright Saver is anticipating “a big fight in California,” Chou said.
With interest and momentum clearly building to enable more Americans to take advantage of plug-in solar, Rupert Mayer, another cofounder of Bright Saver who spoke at the September press conference in Vermont, said he and his team are optimistic that this affordable clean energy technology will take off here like it did in Europe.
“We think we can really make this happen,” he said. “We can move this forward and get a new experience for consumers in America to realize the benefits of clean energy firsthand and make solar unstoppable.”
Dana Drugmand is a freelance environmental journalist covering topics such as climate accountability and climate change lawsuits, greenwashing and false climate solutions, plastics and petrochemicals, and environmental law and justice. In addition to Sierra, her writing has appeared in DeSmog, The New Lede, YES! Magazine, New Internationalist, Common Dreams, Truthout, and Earth Island Journal, among other outlets.
Events across the country on September 21 will celebrate the clean energy revolution
By Alison F. Takemura
September 15, 2025
New England ratepayers received much lower bills thanks to solar panels and battery storage
By Sarah Shemkus
August 14, 2025
The Biden administration prepared a final plan to unleash solar energy across the West
By Ethan Freedman
December 13, 2024
The cost of renewables is plummeting, heat pumps are selling, and red states are raking in cash
By Matt Simon
November 17, 2024
Keep Up With Environmental News
Get articles like this one sent directly to your inbox.
By taking this action to protect the planet, you are affirming you want to receive regular Sierra Club communications and may vote on policy designated by the Sierra Club Board.
Sierra Club® and “Explore, enjoy and protect the planet”® are registered trademarks of the Sierra Club. © Sierra Club 2026.
The Sierra Club Seal is a registered copyright, service mark, and trademark of the Sierra Club.
Sign up to receive Sierra News & Views, our weekly newsletter, to get articles like this one sent directly to your inbox.
