California Officially Legalizes Balcony Solar, Opening the Market to the New Technology

Key Points:

• California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill legalizing balcony or “plug-in” solar panels, which are smaller, portable, and less expensive alternatives to traditional rooftop solar systems.
• These solar kits, ranging from $300 to $2200, can be installed by customers themselves and are designed to help renters and those with unsuitable roofs or limited budgets reduce their electricity bills.
• The law requires plug-in solar panels to be certified by an external safety organization, with current certification provided only by Underwriters Laboratories, and aims to eventually allow true “plug and play” connection to standard wall outlets.
• The legislation exempts these systems from the usual, often costly and slow, rooftop solar registration process, enabling free and immediate registration, and sets a power generation limit of 1,200 watts per home to prevent grid backfeed during outages.
• The law takes effect in 2027 and sunsets in 2030, with compliant products expected to enter the market by spring; non-compliant systems must be registered as rooftop solar until then, and their sale will become illegal after 2030.