California Legalized Plug-In Balcony Solar Panels, but Don’t Buy Any Just Yet
Units that comply with the new law are expected by spring.
California lawmakers have recently approved the use of plug-in balcony solar panels, but consumers should hold off on purchasing these systems for now. The Plug and Play Solar Act, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, permits apartment, condo, and single-family home residents to use plug-in solar, provided it adheres to the bill's regulations.
Despite this new law, several requirements remain, such as a maximum output of 1,200 watts per home, registration of the balcony solar kit, and a certification by an outside safety organization. Additionally, the systems must be configured to not feed power back into the grid during a power outage, potentially via a separate smart power management meter.
While popular in Europe, particularly in Germany where 4 million systems have been installed, plug-in balcony solar panels are a relatively new concept in the United States. Only 10 states, including California, have legalized balcony solar, effectively doubling the size of the US market. However, none of the current market units meet California's requirements, as manufacturers wait for regulatory uncertainties to be resolved before releasing compliant products in the US.
Written by urgent.news from CNET's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
