Is plug-in solar legal in Connecticut? (2026)
Not yet. Connecticut passed HB 5340, which takes effect 2026-10-01. The limit is 1,200 watts.
Legal from 2026-10-01
Connecticut has enacted a law exempting one plug-in solar device of up to 1,200 watts per meter from interconnection agreements and utility approval or fees, effective October 1, 2026.
- Watt cap
- 1,200 W
- Permit
- —
- Interconnection
- Not required
- Utility notice
- —
- Equipment
- Certified by Underwriters Laboratories or an equivalent nationally recognized testing laboratory AND meets UL 1741; must also meet the National Electrical Code (NFPA 70), IEEE 1547 and the State Building Code.
- Law
- HB 5340 · An Act Concerning Renewable Power Generation
- Signed
- 2026-06-04
- Effective
- 2026-10-01
Official sources
- HB 5340, cga.ct.govwww.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&which_year=2
- HB 5340, cga.ct.govwww.cga.ct.gov/2026/ACT/PA/PDF/2026PA-00127-R00HB-05340-PA.PDF
Research notes
Public Act 26-127, section 9 (plug-in solar), 'Effective October 1, 2026'. Bill status history: Public Act number assigned 5/20/2026 (this is the '2026-05-20' date in secondary sources, NOT the signing), transmitted to Governor 5/27/2026, 'Signed by the Governor' 6/4/2026; PA text says 'Approved June 4, 2026'. Status 'legal' with a future effective date. Definition: PV device not permanently affixed to a structure, max output not more than 1,200 W, connects through a standard 120-volt AC outlet behind the customer's meter, offsets part of consumption, meets State Building Code, NEC (NFPA-70) and IEEE 1547, UL/NRTL-certified and meets UL 1741, prevents energizing the building during an outage, and carries a consumer warning that generation exceeding on-site consumption will be charged to the customer as usage unless they have a net-metering-capable meter. Exempt from PURA interconnection-agreement requirements provided not more than one device per customer meter. Utility may not require approval, fees (except charges the system incurs through its use) or extra equipment; utility not liable. No utility-notice requirement in the statute (utilityNotice=null: the statute is silent on notice; it only bars requiring approval). The act expressly does NOT exempt devices from the State Building Code, Fire Safety Code, State Fire Prevention Code or local ordinances, so permitting depends on those codes (permitRequired=null). Section 10 directs the State Building Inspector and State Fire Marshal to consider safe-installation provisions in the next code amendments. No landlord/HOA provision in section 9.
“—” means our record has no sourced value · Not legal advice
If you rent
The law isn't in effect yet (it starts 2026-10-01), 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 2026-10-01, 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 Connecticut's law says (takes effect 2026-10-01)
A portable solar generation device is one that isn't permanently attached to a structure and puts out no more than 1,200 watts.
"portable solar generation device" means a solar photovoltaic generation device that (1) is not permanently affixed to a structure, (2) has a maximum power output of not more than one thousand two hundred watts
cga.ct.gov ↗It must be certified by UL or an equivalent lab and meet UL Standard 1741.
“is certified by Underwriters Laboratories or an equivalent nationally recognized testing laboratory, and meets the requirements set forth in Underwriters Laboratories Standard Number 1741, as amended from time to time”
cga.ct.gov ↗A compliant device is exempt from the utility regulator's interconnection-agreement requirements.
“A portable solar generation device that meets the requirements of this section shall be exempt from any requirement concerning interconnection agreements imposed by any regulation adopted by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority or any decision of the authority”
cga.ct.gov ↗The electric company cannot require approval before you install or use it, and cannot charge a fee beyond what the device's own usage costs.
“No electric distribution company shall (1) require a customer using a portable solar generation device to obtain the company's approval before installing or using the system, pay any fee or charge related to the system, except any charges the system incurs through its use”
cga.ct.gov ↗Building, fire and local codes still apply.
“Nothing in this section shall be construed to exempt any portable solar generation device from any applicable provision of the State Building Code, the Fire Safety Code, the State Fire Prevention Code or any provision of any local ordinance or regulation applicable to such devices.”
cga.ct.gov ↗
What Connecticut'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.
Eversource (Connecticut Light and Power)
Eversource's Connecticut residential interconnection guidelines, written for conventional systems, say you may not run a generating facility in parallel until it approves. The page does not mention plug-in or portable solar.
“The Customer cannot operate the Generating Facility in parallel until approval to do so has been provided by the EDC.”
eversource.com ↗
Who to ask
- Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, file a complaint ↗
Takes complaints about the utilities it regulates, once you have tried the utility first.
Sources read and quotes checked 2026-09-22.
What an 800 W kit makes in Connecticut
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
768
kWh / year
800W, south-facing railing, no shade
Electricity rate
28.49
¢ / kWh
EIA, 2025-07 to 2026-06
Yearly savings
$175
per year, before kit cost
assumes 80% self-use
Sun
4.78
peak sun hours / day
optimal tilt, Hartford
Output is modeled at Hartford 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. Connecticut's law isn't in effect yet (it starts 2026-10-01). Connecticut's law covers systems up to 1,200 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 Connecticut
Is plug-in solar legal in Connecticut?
Not yet. Connecticut passed HB 5340, which takes effect 2026-10-01. The limit is 1,200 watts.
Is there a wattage limit in Connecticut?
Yes. Connecticut's law covers systems up to 1,200 watts.
How much could an 800W kit save in Connecticut?
About $175 a year, before the kit's cost, for an unshaded 800W panel on a south-facing railing at 28.49¢/kWh. That assumes you use 80% of what it makes. Run the calculator for your own numbers.