1. Most states require special device certification by a "nationally recognized authority" that doesn't seem to fully exist yet. There ARE devices that would almost certainly GET certified, but aren't yet.
2. Ordering panels is a PITA. Most want to sell you either RV/Camping grade (overpriced), or in too large of quantities (e.g. 10x+). If you want to hit under 1,200 Watts meaning just 2x 600 Watt panels, well, nobody wants to ship that. Most popular panel vendors, don't want to sell single-panels, and you're looking at 500% markup for camping/RV style panels (with often worse performance, and proprietary connectors).
3. "Moveable" panel requirements. The laws frequently don't define what that means or what that looks like. It seems to want to essentially ban a small roof install, but stuff like ground-mounting (e.g. even just for the angle), or securing so they don't blow over, is ambiguous. Plus most laws don't exempt you from planning requirements, just utility requirements, so the local city/county can still fine you for your "install."
What I am saying is: I'm absolutely in love with plug-in solar, but unfortunately being an early adopter in the US is going to be annoying. I hope in ten years it will be almost turn-key, just buy a "kit" plug it in, and you're done.
There's this device: https://usa.apsystems.com/ez1-installers/
And also this: https://connectder.com/
https://electrek.co/2026/07/20/us-first-ul-3700-balcony-sola...
https://pluginsolarus.com/learn/ul-3700-safety-standard-expl...
(passed in 10 states, 2 awaiting signatures, as of this comment)
Circuit breakers have been around for a century and work great. You plug something in that pushes or pulls too much current and pop - disconnect.
So while they are absolutely safe, there's huge FUD coming from the utilities who lose revenue AND PROFIT they were getting from you with each system.
Pacific Gas and Electric, Southern California Edison, Florida Power & Light (FPL), Commonwealth Edison (ComEd), Consolidated Edison (ConEd) are all for profit monopolies.
Asking them if it's safe is like asking Microsoft if you should switch away from Word. It does not matter the reasoning, the answer was always going to be the same.
Or is that it actually goes back to the grid and you would pay your bill minus the amount you’ve fed back in?
How long do they last? How much maintenance costs (cleaning etc.)
Sounds like a way to stuff the poor with copium device. The rich will get minted and government doesn't have to resolve the problem of expensive electricity for another election cycle.
(Insulating your house or getting double glazing, for example, takes a lot longer to pay itself back, and these are pretty popular home improvements despite that and the higher outlay)
I'll certainly be buying one, not because of the ROI/payback calculation, but just because it's fun to talk about with my kids and a nice thing to do.
Similarly, plug in batteries are on the way (see recently Octopus announcement). I'll probably buy one for the same reasons.
That said, the payback time also looks very favourable, especially relative to a full rooftop install, so you don't even need to be alturistic!
Unfortunately, the bill didn't make it over the finish line during the 2026 session. The Washington legislature only met for two months this year: https://www.brethorsting.com/blog/2026/01/how-the-washington...
I'm in Seattle, where we enjoy some of the cheapest electricity costs in the country thanks to abundant hydroelectric generation and a public, city-owned utility, but back-to-back 10% rate hikes were just announced for 2027 and 2028, and I hope that spurs our state legislature to take balcony solar more seriously.
Has been legal in Germany for some years but inverters have to be limited to 800W output so it doesn't overload the circut. Additionally, you're limited to 4 panels max 2000w peak total.
A lot of companies also offer batteries where the panels directly plug into and then into the wall. That way you're only feeding into your household when you're using it.
If you set it up correctly a lot of households manage to save up to 35% in electricity.
Depends on what is generating the power.
Traditional fuel-powered emergency generators are indeed risky, as they are designed to operate on their own. They do not need the grid to be present as they will generate their own sine wave. This means they'll happily feed power outside your house, and nothing is preventing you from getting a giant "bang" when external power is turned on again. For this kind of generators you need a way to XOR the two, usually with a physical interlock turning off the main incoming fuse before the generator fuse can be engaged.
Most solar panels, including those plug-in ones, are designed to operate with a grid present. They don't generate a sine wave, they just sense the incoming wave and "push back". Turn off the external power and they'll stop operating. So no power during an outage, but also no risk of electrocution.
With plug-in sources there's an additional risk, namely that something else on the same fuse can draw power from both the outside grid and from the additional source. The breaker in your mains panel will still trip at (say) 15A, but there's now a second thing supplying current. If that provide an additional 15A, some piece of equipment on that circuit can now draw 30A without tripping any breakers - and its plugs and wiring are not designed for 30A, so they'll catch fire. This has to be avoided by giving the power source its own dedicated hard-wired breaker. Or, in the case of those plug-in PV panels: limit their power to something which is unlikely to cause issues in practice. That 15A wiring isn't going to melt at 16A.
If your device discovers it has become an "island", generating power with no real grid (maybe there are two similar panels next door but not a 10GW power grid) it switches off. This is not only safer for you, it's also critical for repair people who might be fixing some overhead line miles away and then a dozen stupid devices inject lethal power onto a circuit their operator has assured them is dead - because from their end it was dead.
https://grist.org/buildings/balcony-solar-is-taking-state-le...
More in other links on my page too: https://www.earth.org.uk/note-on-G83-lite.html#sources
That plus bit of risk of things being energised that say a lineman thought would be out. This can be mitigated by using systems that only feed in when they sense it’s connected to the grid
The balcony solar rigs (at least the properly designed ones) don't energize the male connector until they detect that it's plugged in. And they de-energize it if the mains/utility power goes out.
Which are the only ones that are legal.
Seemed to cover a fair amount of the issues (or non issues)
The broader North East / New England is very far along!
You're spouting tired anti-solar talking points. Again, why?
> Incorporate non-rewireable moulded plug fitted with a BS 1362 fuse not exceeding 5A
And anti-islanding, so it disables when the grid isn't live.
Seems quite reasonable. Also, like, this is a thing balcony solar is being done in lots of regions of the world now. Based on those parts of the world not burning down, not electrocuting people at scale, this is ipso facto all just a sad tired lot of ridiculous FUD.