Plug-in solar in the Bay Area

The short answer: from Jan 1, 2027, a certified plug-in (balcony) solar kit of up to 1,200 W AC per home can plug into an outlet in the Bay Area without your utility's approval.^[source] What it saves depends on which utility serves you.

Which utility serves you, and what a kit could save

PG&E serves most of the Bay Area. Palo Alto, Santa Clara (Silicon Valley Power), Alameda and Healdsburg run their own utilities, and Hetch Hetchy Power serves parts of San Francisco such as Treasure Island.

Utilities in this area and what the example kit saves

Utility	Rate we use	Savings per year	Payback
PG&E	40.7¢/kWh	$322	3.1 years
City of Palo Alto Utilities	23.98¢/kWh	$190	5.3 years
Silicon Valley Power	17.95¢/kWh	$142	7.0 years
Alameda Municipal Power	26.75¢/kWh	$212	4.7 years
Hetch Hetchy Power (SFPUC)	35.96¢/kWh	$285	3.5 years
City of Healdsburg Electric	31.92¢/kWh	$253	4.0 years
Island Energy (Mare Island)	Rate not verified: enter yours in the calculator

Not sure which utility you have? Check your bill, or search by city or ZIP code in the calculator.

What SB 868 changes

• No utility approval for a certified kit within the limit; your utility may ask you to register it through a simple online form but can't charge fees related to it.^[source]
• City and district utilities are covered too: the law names "an electrical corporation or a local publicly owned electric utility."^[source]
• The limit is per home: 1,200 W AC for all the plug-in devices at one address.^[source]
• Exported power earns nothing, so a kit sized to what you use during the day saves the most.^[source]

Electric cooperatives aren't named in the law; if a co-op serves you, check with it before you install.

Before you buy

• Renters still need the landlord's permission: SB 868 doesn't appear to override a lease or HOA rules.^[source] See plug-in solar for renters.
• Check the kit's certification and size with is my kit legal?, and compare kits in the kit tracker.
• Run your own numbers, including how savings add up over the years, in the calculator.

Not legal or electrical advice.