Plug-in solar panels, explained and checked
Small solar kits that plug into a normal outlet are now legal in some places and not in others. We read the laws, say what they require, and put the date we last checked next to every one.
Your state is not in the list? We have not finished it yet. See the full tracker.
Of the 12 states we have researched so far. Open the tracker for the table.
800 W limit, one device per home, and a notice to your network operator within 28 days.
A panel, a small inverter and a plug. What happens in a blackout, and what it can and cannot run.
What are plug-in solar panels?
Plug-in solar (also called balcony solar or plugin solar) is a small kit you set up yourself. One or two panels, a small inverter, and a cord with a regular plug. You mount the panels on a railing, wall, fence or the ground, plug the cord into an outlet, and the power joins what your home is already using.
It is not a rooftop system. It is smaller, it does not need an installer's crew, and it does not pay you for what you do not use. Whether you are allowed to use one comes down to your state's law (or the national plug-in solar rules in Great Britain), and the safety label on the product. If you are in the UK, it is worth knowing what a plug-in kit costs there before you start comparing.
Plug-in solar and rooftop solar, side by side
| Plug-in kit | Rooftop system | |
|---|---|---|
| Who installs it | You | A licensed installer |
| How it connects | A plug in an outlet | Wired into your main panel |
| Size | Small, usually 1,200 W or less in the laws so far | Sized to your whole home |
| Paid for exported power | Generally no | Often yes, through net metering |
| Renters and apartments | Can be possible | Rarely |
| Needs a roof you own | No | Yes |
What changed most recently
- California: SB 868 signed 30 Sep 2026. Main date 01 Jan 2027.
- New Jersey: S2368 / A4836 signed 01 Sep 2026. Main date 01 Mar 2027.
- New Hampshire: SB 540 signed 02 Jul 2026. Main date 01 Jan 2027.
- New York: the SUNNY Act passed both chambers on 28 May 2026 and had not been signed or vetoed when we last checked.
Why trust the dates
Every legal status here has been read from the law or the legislature's own record, then confirmed through a second route. Where we could not do both, we say so on the page. The methodology explains how, and the about page explains who we are and how the site is paid for. We do not take money to change a status.