Is plug-in solar legal in Colorado? (2026)
Yes. Colorado allows plug-in solar under HB26-1007, in effect since 2026-08-12. The limit is 1,920 watts. No interconnection agreement is required.
Legal
Colorado law (HB26-1007) lets you plug a listed solar device of up to 1,920 watts into a wall outlet without utility approval or fees; landlord and HOA protections start January 1, 2027.
- Watt cap
- 1,920 W
- Permit
- —
- Interconnection
- Not required
- Utility notice
- Varies
- Equipment
- Device must be labeled and listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory (C.R.S. 40-2-140(1)(e)(II)). On and after 2027-01-01, devices over 391 W may not be sold, leased or rented in Colorado unless UL labeled and listed (40-2-140(6)). No specific UL standard number is named for the device.
- Law
- HB26-1007 · Improve Customer Use Distributed Energy Resources (act: Concerning measures to improve a customer's ability to use distributed energy resources)
- Signed
- 2026-05-07
- Effective
- 2026-08-12
Official sources
- HB26-1007, leg.colorado.govleg.colorado.gov/bills/hb26-1007
- HB26-1007, leg.colorado.govleg.colorado.gov/laws/session-laws/HB26-1007/127/download
Research notes
Session Laws 2026 ch. 127, new C.R.S. 40-2-140. Cap: 'not more than one thousand nine hundred twenty watts' output to the grid, a single photovoltaic system per address. Must include a feature preventing it from energizing the grid during an outage. Plugs into a wall outlet; no more than one device per single wall outlet per address (no dedicated-circuit requirement stated). Utilities may not require prior approval, fees, or extra controls/equipment; a utility MAY require the customer to notify it of the device's presence and size in kW (hence utilityNotice 'varies'). Devices of 391 W or less are exempt from 40-2-128 PV installation requirements and from building-code/listing provisions that would require wiring alterations; installation must otherwise follow fire code and applicable local building codes. The statute does not say whether a local permit is required for larger devices, so permitRequired is null. From 2027-01-01: no person may unreasonably prohibit these devices, covenants that do so are void, HOAs may impose reasonable restrictions (prior notice, fire/overload safety, location) and require the device be secured and the owner indemnify the association. Utility not liable for damage from the device. Effective date is the 90-day-after-adjournment date (the act states Aug 12, 2026 if sine die May 13, 2026; the bill page lists Effective Date August 12, 2026); no referendum petition information was checked beyond the bill page showing 'Became Law'. Also covers meter collar adapters (not relevant to plug-in).
“—” means our record has no sourced value · Not legal advice
If you rent
The state law is on your side, but 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
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 1,920 watts the plug-in law no longer applies, and a system goes through the standard permit and interconnection process.
What Colorado's law says
One system per address, supplying no more than 1,920 watts to the grid.
“PORTABLE-SCALE SOLAR GENERATION DEVICE” OR “DEVICE” MEANS A SINGLE PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM PER ADDRESS AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT THAT: (I) IS DESIGNED OR COMMISSIONED TO SUPPLY A MAXIMUM POWER OUTPUT OF NOT MORE THAN ONE THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED TWENTY WATTS TO THE ELECTRIC GRID
leg.colorado.gov ↗A utility can't require its approval before you install or use a device, and it can't charge fees or require extra equipment.
“A PROVIDER OF RETAIL ELECTRIC SERVICE OR WHOLESALE ENERGY SHALL NOT REQUIRE A CUSTOMER TO: (I) OBTAIN THE PROVIDER'S APPROVAL BEFORE INSTALLING OR USING A PORTABLE-SCALE SOLAR GENERATION DEVICE”
leg.colorado.gov ↗A utility may require you to tell it you have a device and how big it is, in kilowatts.
“MAY REQUIRE A CUSTOMER TO NOTIFY THE PROVIDER OF THE CUSTOMER'S USE OF A PORTABLE-SCALE SOLAR GENERATION DEVICE BY INDICATING THE PRESENCE AND SIZE OF THE DEVICE IN KILOWATTS”
leg.colorado.gov ↗Covenants that unreasonably restrict these devices are void. Owners and HOAs can still set reasonable rules on notice, safety and location.
“A COVENANT OR RESTRICTION THAT EXPLICITLY OR INDIRECTLY UNREASONABLY PROHIBITS OR RESTRICTS THE INSTALLATION, USE, OR OPERATION OF A PORTABLE-SCALE SOLAR GENERATION DEVICE IS UNENFORCEABLE AND VOID”
leg.colorado.gov ↗From January 1, 2027, a device over 391 watts that isn't labeled and listed may not be sold, leased or rented in Colorado.
“JANUARY 1, 2027, A PERSON SHALL NOT SELL, LEASE, OR RENT A PORTABLE-SCALE SOLAR GENERATION DEVICE THAT HAS A POWER OUTPUT OF MORE THAN THREE HUNDRED NINETY-ONE WATTS”
leg.colorado.gov ↗
What Colorado'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.
Xcel Energy (Public Service Company of Colorado)
Colorado's largest utility has not updated its rules for the new law. We searched its current Colorado electric tariff on 2026-09-22 and found no mention of plug-in, portable or balcony solar; its definition of customer distributed generation still assumes an interconnection agreement.
“that has executed an interconnection agreement and is interconnected on the end-use electric Customer's side of the Company's meter.”
xcelenergy.com ↗Colorado Springs Utilities (city-owned)
Colorado Springs Utilities has a plug-in solar page. It sets tiers by size: 391 W or less plugs into a standard outlet, 392 to 1,920 W must meet local electrical and building codes, and anything larger goes through standard interconnection. No approval or fee for qualifying devices.
“Colorado Springs Utilities does not require approval or charge a fee for qualifying devices.”
csu.org ↗
Who to ask
- Colorado Public Utilities Commission, consumer assistance ↗
Helps with problems and complaints about the utilities it regulates, such as Xcel Energy and Black Hills. City-owned utilities are not covered.
Sources read and quotes checked 2026-09-22.
What an 800 W kit makes in Colorado
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
1,007
kWh / year
800W, south-facing railing, no shade
Electricity rate
16.47
¢ / kWh
EIA, 2025-07 to 2026-06
Yearly savings
$133
per year, before kit cost
assumes 80% self-use
Sun
6.34
peak sun hours / day
optimal tilt, Denver
Output is modeled at Denver 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. Colorado's law covers systems up to 1,920 W, so check the kit's output against that.
Some links in this section are affiliate links. We earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you.
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 as of 2026-09-22
At-cost price from a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, not a retail price.
Bright Saver is a nonprofit we cover editorially. We earn nothing from this link.
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
- Not published
EcoFlow lists no price until you configure the system.
Panels are not included, and EcoFlow's own page says plug-and-play use is currently available only in Utah, under H.B. 340.
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
- “UL 1741 code compliant for anti-islanding safety protection” (pluggedsolar.com); no lab listing published
- Warranty
- Not published
- Price
- $1,395.00 as of 2026-09-22
Amazon price read through the Creators API.
PluggedSolar publishes no lab listing for this kit and no warranty term we could find. Its Amazon listing estimates 1,500 kWh a year, which assumes panels angled at the sun.
We earn a commission if you buy through this link. It costs you nothing extra.
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 as of 2026-09-22
Listed by the reseller My Own Watts.
Craftstrom sells through dealers, so prices differ by seller. We have no affiliate relationship with any of them.
- Anker SOLIX sells balcony systems in Europe, not in the US. We'll add them when a US model ships.
Questions about Colorado
Is plug-in solar legal in Colorado?
Yes. Colorado allows plug-in solar under HB26-1007, in effect since 2026-08-12. The limit is 1,920 watts. No interconnection agreement is required.
Is there a wattage limit in Colorado?
Yes. Colorado's law covers systems up to 1,920 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 Colorado?
About $133 a year, before the kit's cost, for an unshaded 800W panel on a south-facing railing at 16.47¢/kWh. That assumes you use 80% of what it makes. Run the calculator for your own numbers.