SB 868 explained: California's plug-in solar law

The short answer: from Jan 1, 2027, California households can use a certified plug-in solar system without an interconnection agreement, utility approval or utility fees, as long as all the plug-in devices at the home add up to no more than 1,200 W AC.^[source] Governor Newsom signed SB 868 on Sep 30, 2026.^[source]

This page is not legal advice. Where a point hasn't been checked against the enacted text, we say so.

What the law allows

• No interconnection agreement, advance approval or device fees. Utilities won't be able to require any of these for qualifying systems.^[source]
• A per-home limit, not a per-kit limit. The total AC output of all plug-in devices at one home must be 1,200 W AC or less.^[source] Two kits that each use more than half the limit would be over it together.

What the system must have

The enacted text, as quoted by Plug-in Solar Hub, says a qualifying system must:^[source]

• be designed to connect to and disconnect from your home's wiring through a receptacle (an outlet);
• be certified as a plug-in photovoltaic system by UL or an equivalent nationally recognized testing laboratory;
• include a certified feature that stops it sending power into the grid during a power outage.

You'll often see "UL 3700" on kit listings. That is UL's current test outline for these products; the law itself doesn't name a specific standard.^[source] As of March 2026, the Senate committee analysis found that no commercially available balcony solar system had achieved certification yet.^[source] That's why most kits in our kit tracker show certification as "Not verified". More in UL 3700 explained.

The same analysis notes that products certified under the current UL framework need a unique plug and a dedicated circuit, which in California means an electrician installs it.^[source] See Do I need an electrician?

Registration, not approval

Your utility may ask you to report the system's address, make, model and size through a simple online registration form, but it can't require approval.^{[source][source]} In other words, you don't have to wait for permission before you plug in.^[source] If your utility asks you to register, do it.

City and other public utilities are covered too

SB 868 isn't only for PG&E, SCE and SDG&E customers. The Legislative Counsel's digest of the law as signed says it also applies to local publicly owned electric utilities, such as LADWP in Los Angeles or SMUD in Sacramento: they may ask for the same simple online registration, but can't charge fees related to the device or the power it makes.^{[source][source]}

Landlords and HOAs

SB 868 does not appear to override leases or HOA rules. NRG Clean Power's explainer says plainly: "It does not override your landlord" and "It does not override your HOA."^[source] The other sources we checked don't address this. Until it's confirmed against the full enacted text, get written permission before you install anything. Our guide for renters includes a permission letter you can send.

Power you send back to the grid

NRG Clean Power says "SB 868 creates no compensation mechanism" for exported power.^[source] This is not yet confirmed against the enacted text. Our savings calculator values exported power at $0, so size a kit to what you use during the day.

If you already have rooftop solar

The Senate committee analysis says adding a plug-in system to a home that already has net-metered rooftop solar "may be a gray area", because the existing interconnection agreement may not allow it.^[source] Ask your utility before adding one. More in adding plug-in solar when you already have rooftop solar.

When the exemption ends

The utility exemptions in SB 868 end on Jan 1, 2030 unless lawmakers extend them.^{[source][source]}

What isn't confirmed yet

• Whether exported power earns anything (we assume it doesn't).
• Exactly how the law interacts with leases and HOA rules (we assume you need permission).
• Which kits will be certified, and when. No kit in our tracker is marked as meeting SB 868 yet.
• How it works alongside an existing rooftop solar system.

What to do next

• Check whether a kit qualifies with four questions.
• Run through seven checks before you buy, and the red flags to avoid.
• Estimate your savings on PG&E, SCE or SDG&E.
• Join the waitlist to hear when certified kits ship in California.