Is plug-in solar legal in California? (2026)
Not yet. California passed SB 868, which takes effect 2027-01-01. The limit is 1,200 watts.
Legal from 2027-01-01
California has enacted a plug-in solar law (SB 868, signed September 30, 2026) that lets you plug a certified device of up to 1,200 watts into an outlet without utility approval or fees, starting January 1, 2027.
- Watt cap
- 1,200 W
- Permit
- —
- Interconnection
- Not required
- Utility notice
- Varies
- Equipment
- Certified as a plug-in photovoltaic system by UL or an equivalent nationally recognized testing laboratory, with a UL/NRTL-certified feature that isolates the device so it can't backfeed the grid during an outage; must meet the current National Electrical Code and California Electrical Code.
- Law
- SB 868 · Electricity: portable solar generation devices
- Signed
- 2026-09-30
- Effective
- 2027-01-01
Official sources
- SB 868, leginfo.legislature.ca.govleginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB868
- SB 868, leginfo.legislature.ca.govleginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billHistoryClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB868
- SB 868, leginfo.legislature.ca.govleginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB868
Research notes
SB 868 (Wiener) = Chapter 985, Statutes of 2026; 'Approved by Governor September 30, 2026. Filed with Secretary of State September 30, 2026.' Adds Pub. Util. Code secs. 8530-8532. Device: max aggregated AC output no more than 1,200 W per dwelling; connected/disconnected through a receptacle; offsets onsite use; meets NEC + California Electrical Code; certified as a plug-in PV system by UL or equivalent NRTL; UL/NRTL-certified feature preventing backfeed during an outage. Sec. 8531: exempt from all interconnection requirements (state law, CPUC, IOU and POU rules); utility may not require approval, any fee or charge, or extra equipment; utility MAY require notice through a simple online registration form (address, make, model, size) that cannot require approval (so whether you must notify depends on your utility). Sec. 8531 repeals itself 2030-01-01 (exemption window 2027-01-01 to 2030-01-01 unless extended). Sec. 8532: from 2030-01-01, receptacle-connected PV devices that don't meet the NEC/UL/anti-backfeed conditions can't be sold in CA. Effective date: the bill states none; status page says Non-Urgency, so Cal. Const. art. IV sec. 8(c)(1) applies ('shall go into effect on January 1 next following a 90-day period from the date of enactment'): enacted 2026-09-30, so 2027-01-01. Until then the prior position stands: IOU interconnection is governed by CPUC Electric Rule 21 (Assembly U&E analysis, June 2026). Permit: the law is silent on local building permits, so permitRequired stays null. AB 2612 (Schultz, building standards for plug-in PV) was held in Senate Appropriations 2026-08-13 and died at the 2026-08-31 end of session. Record updated 2026-10-13 after the signature; the 2026-09-20 review predated it.
“—” means our record has no sourced value · Not legal advice
If you rent
The law isn't in effect yet (it starts 2027-01-01), and even after it is, your lease still decides what you can attach to the building. Ask your landlord before you clamp anything to a railing. This email is a starting point:
If you own your home
Once the law takes effect on 2027-01-01, you can install within the limits above. If you’re in a condo or HOA, the association’s rules on balconies and exterior equipment still apply. Above 1,200 watts the plug-in law no longer applies, and a system goes through the standard permit and interconnection process.
What California's law says (takes effect 2027-01-01)
California's law caps a household's plug-in solar at 1,200 watts of AC output per dwelling.
“Has a maximum aggregated AC output of no more than 1,200 watts per dwelling.”
leginfo.legislature.ca.gov ↗The device has to be certified as a plug-in PV system by UL or an equivalent lab.
“Is certified as a plug-in photovoltaic system by Underwriters Laboratories, or an equivalent nationally recognized testing laboratory.”
leginfo.legislature.ca.gov ↗Qualifying devices are exempt from interconnection requirements at both investor-owned and city-owned utilities.
“A portable solar generation device is exempt from all interconnection requirements imposed by state law, the commission, electrical corporation rules, or local publicly owned electric utility rules”
leginfo.legislature.ca.gov ↗A utility can ask for notice through a simple online form with the address, make, model and size, but it can't require approval.
“using a simple online registration form, of the address, make, model, and size of the portable solar generation device.”
leginfo.legislature.ca.gov ↗Governor Newsom signed SB 868 on September 30, 2026.
“Approved by Governor September 30, 2026.”
leginfo.legislature.ca.gov ↗The bill names no start date, so California's default applies: January 1 after a 90-day wait, which makes it January 1, 2027.
“a statute enacted at a regular session shall go into effect on January 1 next following a 90-day period from the date of enactment of the statute”
leginfo.legislature.ca.gov ↗The interconnection exemption expires on January 1, 2030 unless lawmakers extend it.
“This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2030, and as of that date is repealed.”
leginfo.legislature.ca.gov ↗
What California's largest utilities say
What each utility's own tariff or interconnection page says about generation a customer connects on their side of the meter.
Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E)
In a newsroom post, not a tariff, PG&E says a plug-in device that exports power should follow the existing interconnection requirements.
“If a device exports power to the grid, it should follow established interconnection requirements.”
pge.com ↗Southern California Edison (SCE)
SCE says you may run a solar system only once it issues Permission to Operate. The page does not mention plug-in or portable solar.
“Once your project receives final approval, we will issue your Permission to Operate, which will authorize you to operate your solar generating system.”
sce.com ↗San Diego Gas & Electric
SDG&E routes residential solar and storage through its online interconnection portal. The page does not mention plug-in or portable solar.
“Residential rooftop solar, solar + storage, or stand-alone storage under the Solar Billing Plan program, interconnection is made to SDG&E using the online interconnection portal.”
sdge.com ↗
Who to ask
- California Public Utilities Commission, file a complaint ↗
Takes informal complaints about the utilities it regulates, once you have tried the utility first.
Sources read and quotes checked 2026-10-13.
What an 800 W kit makes in California
A railing-mounted panel hangs close to vertical, so it makes less than a tilted rooftop panel. These figures use a vertical panel on purpose.
Yearly output
852
kWh / year
800W, south-facing railing, no shade
Electricity rate
33.05
¢ / kWh
EIA, 2025-07 to 2026-06
Yearly savings
$225
per year, before kit cost
assumes 80% self-use
Sun
6.41
peak sun hours / day
optimal tilt, Los Angeles
Output is modeled at Los Angeles with PVGIS 5.3, European Commission Joint Research Centre, ERA5 weather data.
Kits sold in the US
These kits are sold in the US. We rank them on published specs, certification and price and have not tested them. California's law isn't in effect yet (it starts 2027-01-01). California's law covers systems up to 1,200 W, so check the kit's output against that.
Lowest cost per watt
Bright Saver Balcony 360 W
360 W
Two panels and a 360 W microinverter, sold at cost by a nonprofit. The cheapest way into plug-in solar we can find, and the only kit here whose inverter is described against UL 3700.
- Panels
- Two 180 W panels, 46 × 34 in, 11 lb each
- Certification
- Inverter listed as “UL 3700 compliant” (Hoymiles HiFlow Pro LV)
- Warranty
- 12-year inverter warranty
- Price
- $414.17 · Sep 22
Built-in battery
EcoFlow STREAM Ultra
800 W
800 W of on-grid output with 1.92–11.52 kWh of storage, so power made in the afternoon can run the evening. Pairing it with the STREAM Microinverter raises output to 1,200 W.
- Panels
- Not included
- Certification
- “UL1741-Certified & IEEE1547-Certified”
- Warranty
- 10 years
- Price
- See site
Complete kit on Amazon
PluggedSolar 800 W Plug and Play
800 W
A complete kit sold as one box on Amazon. The panels sit in the sun and the cord goes to an outlet, so nothing is hard-wired.
- Panels
- Four 200 W panels, with a microinverter and a 50 ft cord
- Certification
- Maker calls it “UL 1741 code compliant” but publishes no lab listing.
- Warranty
- Not published
- Price
- $1,395.00 · Sep 22
Most power
Craftstrom 1200 W Plug-in Solar Kit
1,200 W
Six panels and three 350 W microinverters with a smart power meter, for a yard, fence or long deck. The most output of anything here, at the highest price per watt.
- Panels
- Six 200 W bifacial semi-flexible panels
- Certification
- Inverters “ETL-certified to UL 1741 and IEEE 1547”
- Warranty
- 10 years on panels, inverters and power meter
- Price
- $3,309.00 · Sep 22
- Anker SOLIX sells balcony systems in Europe, not in the US. We'll add them when a US model ships.
Questions about California
Is plug-in solar legal in California?
Not yet. California passed SB 868, which takes effect 2027-01-01. The limit is 1,200 watts.
Is there a wattage limit in California?
Yes. California's law covers systems up to 1,200 watts.
Do I have to tell my utility?
It varies by utility. Ask yours, and get the answer in writing.
How much could an 800W kit save in California?
About $225 a year, before the kit's cost, for an unshaded 800W panel on a south-facing railing at 33.05¢/kWh. That assumes you use 80% of what it makes. Run the calculator for your own numbers.