These proposals come as Americans are in the grip of a worsening cost-of-living crisis — of which energy is a key driver. My little hovel needs this. How about yours? Talk to your state legislators!
What’s Plug-In Solar? Colorado legislators promote a bill to help eager consumers find out. Millions of the portable, “balcony” size systems are being installed around the world. Should [we] catch up?
And from Canarymedia.com email
<big>Utah is home to a clean energy solution worth bragging about. It’s the only state that explicitly lets residents install DIY “balcony solar” systems, which plug in to standard outlets without the need for complex interconnection processes — but it may not be alone for long, Alison F. Takemura reports.</big>
<big>In more than half of U.S. states, Republican and Democratic lawmakers have introduced legislation that would boost adoption of DIY solar systems.</big>
Lauren Phillips’ balcony just became a [carbon-free] power plant … A few weeks ago, the attorney set up what may be the first plug-and-play solar panel in the Bronx. The 220-watt installation, secured to the balcony railing with zip ties, has been a boon for the co-op apartment owner and mother of two….
…Plug-in solar nonprofit Bright Saver, which provided the roughly $400 panel to Phillips at no cost, estimated that it will produce about 15% to 20% of the electricity her family uses and save her about $100 per year. Every time Phillips gazes at the device, she said, she’s amazed that “this is just a thing that I plugged in, and I’m generating my own power.”
Phillips is [among] intrepid Americans installing DIY solar without the permission of their utilities, taking advantage of a regulatory gray area. Only deep-red Utah has a law, passed in March 2025, that explicitly allows residents to plug in these devices. …
But other states, including New York, could soon follow Utah’s lead and unleash much broader adoption of solar panels that plug into a standard 120-volt wall outlet. As of Wednesday, Democratic and Republican lawmakers in 28 states and Washington, D.C., have announced their own legislation to make these systems permissible, according to Bright Saver and other sources….
[MORE HERE]
___________________________________________________________________
Albany – Today, Assemblymember Emily Gallagher and Senator Liz Krueger announced the introduction of the Solar Up Now New York (SUNNY) Act, which would exempt small balcony solar, also known as portable or plug-in solar, from existing interconnection and net metering requirements. Following on the passage of similar, first-in-the-nation legislation in Utah, this small statutory change has the potential to make solar generation available to millions of New Yorkers who cannot install rooftop solar, either because they are renters, cannot afford the up-front cost, or do not have an appropriate roof….
___________________________________________________________________
Pila Energy’s batteries offer renters and homeowners the smarts of a Tesla Powerwall in a plug-and-play package. It just raised $4M to scale up operations….
…[A handful of startups like Pila Energy have plug-in batteries meant to operate around the clock to reduce utility bills as well as to keep refrigerators and other critical appliances running through power outages.]…
____________________________________________________________________
“Plug-In Solar Power Could Be Coming to a Balcony Near You”
____________________________________________________________________
“What to Know About Plug-In Solar”
____________________________________________________________________
Good morning and welcome to the weekly Monday edition of the New York & New Jersey Energy newsletter. We’ll take a look at the week ahead and look back on what you may have missed last week.
SUPPORTING SUNNY: Democratic state Sen. Liz Krueger and Assemblymember Emily Gallagher launched an effort Friday for their balcony solar bill, the Solar Up Now New York (SUNNY) Act.
The bill would get rid of regulatory hurdles for small, plug-in solar panels that have seen widespread adoption elsewhere but run up against red tape in the U.S. Germans registered 435,000 plug-in solar panels in 2024, which likely is a fraction of the total number of plug-in solar kits being used there.
The small solar panels can be plugged into an outlet and would be capped at 1,200 watts. Many household appliances are rated at 1,200, including microwaves, portable space heaters and hairdryers.
“It lessens demand and drain on the energy grid,” Krueger told reporters Friday, adding that the bill could especially help renters who want to have a solar panel option.
While plug-in solar panels have proliferated in Germany and elsewhere, red tape surrounding connecting to the grid in the U.S. has limited their adoption. Utah is the only state that has passed a plug-in solar bill, which was sponsored by Republican Rep. Raymond Ward and passed the Legislature unanimously….
___________________________________________________________________
[…David Energy, a New York–based retail energy provider]’s plug-in battery pilot is building on the growing interest in DIY energy technologies worldwide. McGinniss cited the example of balcony solar systems that can plug into standard household electrical outlets, which are big in Germany but aren’t yet allowed under most current electrical codes in the U.S. — although state lawmakers in New York and elsewhere are pushing legislation to change that.
Backup batteries, however, [for backup power during blackouts] are ready for market …[portables] from companies like Jackery and EcoFlow are increasingly affordable and popular options for households that … can’t, or don’t want to, install fossil fuel–burning generators. A handful of startups like Pila Energy have plug-in[s for operation around the clock…]
As a retail energy provider, David Energy competes with large utilities and other energy retailers to provide customers with cheaper electricity plans. It does so primarily by purchasing electricity from wholesale markets and then reselling it to businesses and households. But the battery pilot is part of the company’s broader long-term goal to “run the grid 24/7 on clean energy,”…
…In Texas, the country’s most open and competitive electricity market, energy retailers are building gigawatt-scale “virtual power plant” platforms, offering customers free smart thermostats, rooftop solar-and-battery systems, and stand-alone backup batteries. In exchange, these programs ask customers for permission to use those systems to pursue arbitrage opportunities — essentially hedging their wholesale energy-market positions by using batteries to store power when it’s cheaper and avoid pulling it from the grid when it’s more expensive…
…To be clear, relying on systems installed at customers’ homes and businesses puts a lot of risk on the companies fronting the money to install them. These companies need to have technology to communicate with and control the devices to ensure they’re storing and shifting power at times when that’s valuable. And they need contracts that fairly share the savings and revenues with their customers — and build in options for when customers might want to switch to a different energy retailer that comes along with a more attractive offer.
On that last front, portable batteries are a lot less risky than systems that need to be wired into building electrical panels and interconnected under utility rules, McGinniss noted. “If they don’t like the service, we can come pick it up. That’s a remarkable fact about these batteries that changes how you think about financing.”…
___________________________________________________________________
Image caption: Portable, plug-in solar panels soak up rays — and lower energy bills — on the deck of a home in the San Francisco Bay Area. (Bright Saver)
…Earlier this month, state Sen. Scott Wiener (D), whose district includes San Francisco, introduced legislation [to] make it easier for individuals to adopt all-electric, superefficient heat pumps (SB 222) and plug-in solar panels (SB 868) [to lower people’s utility bills, make them] able to participate in the clean energy economy; and be able to take control of their energy future…..”
Electricity costs have grown at about 2.5 times the pace of persistent inflation, and home heating costs are expected to surge this winter. In California, [with] the second-highest electricity rates in the nation, the problem is particularly pressing.
Heat pumps — air conditioners that also provide all-electric heat — are about two to five times as efficient as gas furnaces without those appliances’ planet-warming and health-harming pollution. Even in California, where gas is relatively inexpensive compared with electricity, a heat pump’s high efficiency can enable households to save on their energy bills, especially when tapping the sun for cheap, abundant power. [But so far, administrative hurdles are holding back heat pumps.]
Enter portable, plug-and-play solar panels… modest systems, which users can drape over balcony railings or prop up in backyards, allow renters, apartment dwellers, and others who can’t put panels on their roofs to harvest enough of the sun’s rays to power a fridge or a few small appliances for a fraction of the day. A connected battery can save solar energy for use at night.
The tech is booming in Europe. [E.g., in Germany] where people can order kits via Ikea, as many as 4 million households have hung up Balkonkraftwerke, or “balcony power plants” [covering] as much as one-fifth of their energy needs…
In the U.S., an 800-watt unit for $1,099 can save a household as much as $450 annually in states with higher electricity prices like California, according to The Washington Post.
But … U.S. households typically need to apply for an interconnection agreement with their utility [first] — just as … for adding a rooftop solar array. [It often requires onerous fees, permits, inspections, months, and] can be even worse when a customer lives in a unit governed by a homeowners association, [Many] have outright prevented new electric equipment from being installed,,,
Only one state allows residents to install plug-in solar without a utility’s permission: deep-red Utah….
…legislatures in more than a dozen states want to unleash the tech: Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington have all introduced bills, according to Cora Stryker, co-founder of …Bright Saver, which has been [advising some states ‘ reps on their proposals] expects a whopping half of U.S. states to introduce bills this year….
…Wiener’s heat-pump legislation, which has some industry detractors as well as grassroots supporters, has already passed out of the [California] state Senate’s housing and local-government committees. [He said it] “creates a streamlined path to be able to get a quick, automatic permit” [and would] loosen restrictions on equipment placement, cap permit fees at $200, and make it illegal to ban heat pumps.
The plug-in solar bill has yet to come up for any votes. Still, with energy affordability shaping up to be a decisive issue in the 2026 midterm elections, both proposals “have, I think, a real possibility of passing,” Wiener said. “These technologies are a win-win-win, and enabling access to them is simply good government.”
___________________________________________________________________
As electricity prices soar and rooftop solar subsidies vanish, some US renters and homeowners are surreptitiously installing solar panels on balconies and backyards without their utility’s permission. Legislation recently introduced in nearly two dozen states would legalize “plug-in solar” systems, jumpstarting a nascent market for an affordable source of renewable energy.
Also called balcony solar, such systems usually comprise two to four solar panels that are plugged into wall outlets. They typically cost about $2,000 or more and generate enough electricity to power a refrigerator, electronics and lights, potentially shaving several hundred dollars a year from utility bills. Some plug-in solar systems come with batteries to store power for use during peak demand when electricity rates spike and when storms or heat waves knock out the grid….
…Utilities have expressed concern about plug-in solar’s impact on the ability to balance the grid if the systems feed excess electricity to the network without their knowledge. Landlords may worry about solar panels falling off balconies or how they change the look of a building, he said. Homeowners associations, which regulate everything from house colors to landscaping, may object to the aesthetics of backyard solar…
___________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
<big>…Market research predicts that if five states pass plug-in solar bills, within five years the price of that 1,200-watt system will plummet from $3,000 to $600.
Tell your local representatives that you want them to support … the plug-in solar bill. Twenty environmental organizations support this game-changing bill to make clean renewable energy accessible and affordable for all Mainers….</big>
____________________________________________________________________
<big>Legislation in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island would allow small solar panels to plug directly into home outlets, expanding access to clean energy….</big>
________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Utilities warned of safety hazards. Proponents insist reputable products meet national codes, help customers combat rising electricity rates.
A measure to help renters and homeowners save on their monthly electric bills with plug-in solar panels died in committee this week amid safety concerns from monopoly utilities.
House Bill 146, “Affordable electricity act of 2026,” died Tuesday in the House Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs Committee for lack of a motion to move it forward.
Sponsored by Jackson Democratic Rep. Liz Storer, the bill would have clarified that small plug-in solar devices, unlike rooftop solar systems, are exempt from state-level regulations — things like city inspections and an interconnect approval from a utility.
A typical plug-in or “balcony solar” panel sold at a box store converts solar energy to household alternating current and can be plugged into a standard outlet, injecting about the same amount of electricity as a blow-dryer. Proponents estimated it could save renters or homeowners up to a couple hundred bucks a month — significant for an investment of about $300 to $2,000, compared to $10,000 or more for a rooftop solar array…..
_________________________________________________________________________
Opinion By Erin Hellkamp Special to The Kansas City Star
_____________________________________________________________________
Prospects for DIY solar could brighten under bill
Perhaps you’ve been intrigued by the idea of having your home use solar energy, but have been held back by the cost and commitment. Installation of rooftop panels can be expensive, and it could take years for the system to pay for itself.
Enter “plug-in solar.”
It’s now possible to install something like a single solar panel and produce electricity for your home. It’s done all over Europe, where it’s commonly called “balcony solar.”
Rep. Larry Kraft (DFL-St. Louis Park) believes that this kind of do-it-yourself solar could find a foothold in Minnesota if some state restrictions are lifted.
That’s the point of HF3555, a bill he sponsors that would remove impediments to a customer using a plug-in photovoltaic device that employs a solar panel with a maximum power output of 1,200 watts. Devices that have been certified as compliant with safety requirements established by a federally recognized testing laboratory (such as UL) would be exempt from the need to enter an interconnection agreement with a utility and from state net metering provisions.
It would also prohibit a utility from imposing any fee on or requiring any approval of a customer’s deployment of such a device.
On Tuesday, the House Energy Finance and Policy Committee laid the bill over for possible omnibus bill inclusion….
_____________________________________________________________________
Opinion / Letters to the Editor
_____________________________________________________________________
Americans are embracing easy, plug‑and‑play solar units that slash energy costs — even as Washington tries to slow the clean‑energy shift.
DIY solar systems have boomed in Germany and across Europe in recent years, with solar panels showing up on balconies and in backyards.
Now, with energy costs rising and the price of wind and solar power plummeting worldwide, Americans are also looking to generate their own electricity and save money — despite Donald Trump’s anti-renewables push.
So far, Utah — which backed Trump for president in 2024 — is the only state to have passed the necessary regulatory reforms to exempt smaller systems under 1,200 watts from rules designed for larger rooftop models. Vermont and Virginia have also recently advanced similar bills with near-unanimous support, from both Democrats and Republicans….
…Plug-in solar systems, one or two panels with power inverters that connect to a standard electrical outlet, are less expensive — 80–97% less than traditional rooftop installations, according to Bright Saver. And they don’t require a technician to install.
Once set up, they reduce the amount of electricity that users take from the grid, generating enough to power small appliances like the fridge, washing machine or computer.
A basic two-panel kit from Bright Saver costs around $2,400 (€2,032); in Germany, a starter kit can be picked up for as little as €349. Compared with rooftop systems, which can cost 10 times as much in the US, the savings are likely to be the deciding factor for many Americans…
…”What we need for the market for plug-in solar to take off is for states to cut red tape that is holding plug-in solar back,” said Ben Delman, editorial director of Solar United Neighbors, an advocacy nonprofit based in Washington D.C. “Once this happens, we expect the market to grow as it has in Germany.”
More than 1 million plug-in devices in Germany
Commercial plug-in solar panels have been circulating in Germany since at least 2010, but have only begun to see widespread adoption in recent years. That popularity was driven in part by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the move away from Russian gas.
…The total number of [registered] plug-in installations [on Germany] reached 1 million in June 2025. But … the actual number of installations was likely higher, as not all balcony panels are registered….
…The solar tech, which limits feed-in power to 800 watts, is now available across much of the EU, with financial support mechanisms in countries like Germany, Austria and Lithuania….
____________________________________________________________________
What if getting solar for your home was as easy as going to the store, buying a solar panel, and then putting it in the sun and plugging into an outlet?
That’s the promise of plug-in solar, a form of small-scale power generation that’s taken off in Germany.
German households have installed over 1 million plug-in solar units. They’re especially popular with renters in apartments, who hang them off their balconies — hence another common name for the equipment, balcony solar….
…But even if such legislation is successful, that doesn’t mean plug-in solar units will suddenly be everywhere. Safety concerns remain a major hurdle…
Utah became the first state to officially greenlight balcony solar last year, but with a caveat — installed solar units must meet safety standards set by Underwriters Laboratories, one of the nation’s oldest and largest product testing companies.
Until recently, UL standards existed for the individual components of plug-in solar units, but not the complete system.
Underwriters Laboratories just released its first safety certification for entire plug-in systems, which may spur more manufacturers to produce the equipment for U.S. customers.
But even with that new certification, some parties [such as state fire marshals], are still skittish about safety issues around plug-in solar….
________________________________________________________________
Known as “plug-in solar,” the panels are about a tenth the size of a traditional rooftop solar and plug directly into a standard power outlet, reducing the amount of power a customer gets from their utility.
“The beauty of it is it’s something that the average person could easily install themselves,” said Kenneth Gillingham, professor of environmental and energy economics at Yale University.
“You simply buy it and plug it in and that’s it.”
The panels are limited to 1200 watts, which isn’t a ton of power, but it’s enough to charge a laptop or cell phone, run lights or even an energy-efficient refrigerator….
