California plug-in solar guide
From Jan 1, 2027, California's SB 868 lets households use certified plug-in (balcony) solar up to 1,200 W AC per home without utility approval. Straight, sourced answers before you buy.
Estimate my savingsCheck if a kit is legal
Last updated
Example kit (800 W, $1,000) · typical placement · PG&E E-1 rate
$322a year
Pays back in about 3.1 years
792 kWh used at home · 88 kWh sent to the grid (we assume it earns $0)
Estimates only. They ignore future rate changes and assume no credit for exported power.
80 cited sources
Every rate, price and rule comes from a dated source, listed on each page.
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No kit is marked as meeting SB 868 until it is verified against a source.
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From Jan 1, 2027, no utility approval is needed. Your utility may ask you to register the kit.
Up to 1,200 W AC per home, certified by UL or an equivalent nationally recognized testing laboratory.
On a balcony rail, patio, wall or in the yard. If you rent, you still need your landlord's permission.
Kits certified under today's UL framework may need a special outlet on a dedicated circuit, installed by a licensed electrician.
Power sent back to the grid probably earns nothing, so a kit sized to your daytime use saves the most.
Stock photos for illustration; they don't show kits we list. Photo credits
Example kit (800 W, $1,000), typical placement, 90% of the power used at home.
PG&E E-1 rate 40.7¢/kWh, checked Oct 22, 2026
$322a year
Pays back in about 3.1 years
SCE average residential rate 34.4¢/kWh, checked Oct 22, 2026
$272a year
Pays back in about 3.7 years
SDG&E DR rate 52¢/kWh, checked Oct 23, 2026
$412a year
Pays back in about 2.4 years
Estimates only; not electrical, legal or financial advice. Savings estimates ignore future rate changes and assume no credit for exported power.
Run your own numbersBright Saver, a nonprofit that sells plug-in kits, says most households in its California pilot had looked at rooftop solar but found it out of reach: the cost, an unsuitable roof, or renting.
No roof of your own needed. Get your landlord's permission in writing first; our letter helps.
A balcony rail, patio or wall can be enough. Check your HOA's rules before you buy.
A smaller, cheaper first step than a rooftop system, with no utility approval needed from Jan 1, 2027.
“We aren't quite ready to splurge on roof units.”
“I did the quick math and figured that at least for the summer, it becomes worth it.”
Quoted in Bright Saver's white paper (October 2025). Bright Saver ran the pilot, paid for part of each kit and sells kits. What the pilot found
15 kits with sourced prices and certification status. None is verified as meeting SB 868 yet.
We may earn a commission if you buy through this link, at no cost to you. It doesn't change our rankings. How we make money
Shown: the 3 kits with the shortest estimated payback on PG&E's standard rate, among kits with a known price that SB 868 doesn't rule out. Commissions never affect this.
$629.00checked Oct 22, 2026
About $290 a year on PG&E · pays back in 2.2 years
Estimate my savings for US Solar Supplier 880 W kit with Hoymiles microinverter$899.00checked Oct 31, 2026
About $363 a year on PG&E · pays back in 2.5 years
Estimate my savings for US Solar Supplier 1,180 W kit with APsystems EZ1 (racking sold separately)$969.00checked Oct 31, 2026
About $363 a year on PG&E · pays back in 2.7 years
Estimate my savings for US Solar Supplier 810 W balcony kit with APsystems EZ1 and SunModo mountsReporting on plug-in solar in California, with links to the original articles.
Solar BuilderOther states and Congress
Solar Builder reports that Rep. Rob Menendez introduced H.R. 10851, the first federal bill aimed at plug-in solar. The proposal would fund state programs for low- and moderate-income households, set a federal safety standard and add savings labels to products. It is a proposal only and has not passed.
Read at Solar Builder →pv magazine USACalifornia law
In an opinion piece, installer Oren Tamir explains what SB 868 allows and what it leaves to homeowners. He advises using a certified kit on a lightly loaded outlet, getting landlord or HOA permission in writing, telling your insurer and treating exported power as worth nothing.
Read at pv magazine USA →National GeographicResearch and features
National Geographic looks at plug-in solar spreading across the US after Utah legalized it in 2025, with California the latest state to follow. The piece covers savings for renters and homeowners, Germany's long experience with the systems and the local rules that can still limit where panels go.
Read at National Geographic →Waitlist
