Updated Oct 29, 2026: 5 laws in effect, 5 more signed
Can you plug solar panels into your wall outlet?
Check your state's rules and see what a balcony solar kit would save at your local electricity price. Every fact links to the law it came from.
- States with signed laws
- 10
- State pages, all sourced
- 51
- Law facts last checked
- Oct 29, 2026
- Paid product placements
- 0
Where plug-in solar is legal
Most laws allow up to 1,200 W, drop the utility interconnection agreement and require a certified kit. The details that matter day to day, like renter rights and utility notice, differ by state.
In the other 39 states and DC, there is no plug-in law yet, so your utility's rules apply. Bills are still pending in several of them.
- Law in effect
- Signed, takes effect later
- Passed, awaiting governor
- No state law yet
Start with your question
Four answers most people need before buying a kit.
How much would it save me?
Production, savings and payback for your state, railing direction, mounting and shade.
Open the calculatorIs it safe on my circuit?
The three real hazards and how certified kits handle them.
Read the safety guideCan my landlord say no?
What each state law says about leases and HOAs, plus a request template.
See renter rulesIs my balcony sunny enough?
Our modeled numbers for every tilt and direction a railing can face.
Check orientationLatest law changes
Newest first. Each links to the state page and its sources.
- Socket Full of Sunshine Act introduced in CongressFederal
- Connecticut law takes effect (Public Act 26-127)In effect
- California SB 868 signed, effective January 2027Signed
- New Jersey Garden State Balcony Solar Act signed, effective March 2027Signed
- Massachusetts energy bill with plug-in provisions goes to conferencePending
- New Hampshire SB 540 signedSigned
- Vermont Act 149 takes effect, with tenant notice rulesIn effect
- Rhode Island House passes H 7269 70–0One chamber
- Maryland HB 1532 and Colorado HB26-1007 signedSigned
How we keep this accurate
- Legal facts come from statutes, bill records and regulators, never only from trackers.
- When sources disagree, the page says so instead of guessing.
- Savings use public EIA prices, NREL sun data and our own published model.
- No company pays for placement.
Guides
Read in order if you are new to plug-in solar.
What plug-in solar is
A plug-in solar kit is one to four panels and a microinverter that plug into a regular 120 V outlet. Here is how they work, what they can power, and where they are legal.
Read the guideSafety
The three real hazards of balcony solar are a live plug, an overloaded circuit and power during an outage. How certified kits handle each, and what to check.
Read the guideUL 3700 explained
UL 3700 is the first US test program for plug-in solar. What it covers, which states require it, which products have it, and how it differs from UL 1741.
Read the guideRenters and HOAs
Some plug-in solar laws protect tenants and condo owners, others leave leases and HOA rules untouched. A state-by-state breakdown and a template for asking your landlord.
Read the guideIs it worth it?
An 800 W balcony kit pays back in about 3 to 7 years in states with plug-in laws, if it faces south and you use most of its output. The math, state by state.
Read the guideOrientation and shade
Hanging panels flat on a railing costs about a third of their output; east or west costs more. Modeled numbers for every tilt and facing, and fixes.
Read the guideChoosing a kit
Pick the size from your always-on load, the certification from your state law, and the mount from your railing. A checklist for buying a balcony solar kit in the US.
Read the guide