Is plug-in solar legal in Illinois? (2026)
Not yet. Illinois has no law allowing plug-in solar, but 2 bills would create one. Here is where they stand, with the official bill page.
Bill pending
Illinois has no plug-in solar law; the Plug-In Solar Energy Systems bills (SB 3104 / HB 4524) are technically still alive in the 104th General Assembly but were parked in May and March 2026.
- Watt cap
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- Permit
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- Interconnection
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- Utility notice
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- Equipment
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- Law
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- Signed
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- Effective
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Official sources
Research notes
Status 'pending' is procedural: both bills sit in Assignments/Rules, where Illinois parks bills that missed deadlines; they can technically be revived in veto session before the 104th GA ends in January 2027. Secondary sources (Capitol News Illinois, NPR Illinois) report sponsors ended the 2026 push after IBEW opposition and an amendment that would have barred plug-in solar until the NEC is updated — that is news, not official, and is not relied on for status. News reports that SB 3104 cleared Senate Energy and Public Utilities on 2026-03-12 were not confirmed on the official page (only the last action was read). Official ILGA page (read 2026-10-13) confirms Senate Committee Amendment No. 2: installing a plug-in system above 391 W 'is prohibited until the National Fire Protection Association adopts a standard in the National Electrical Code', and the amended bill got 'Do Pass as Amended Energy and Public Utilities; 009-004-000' on 2026-03-12. This replaces the earlier unverified news figure (392 W). New-bill search on ilga.gov not possible on 2026-10-13 (site search broken).
“—” means our record has no sourced value · Not legal advice
If you rent
Without a state law, you need two yeses: your landlord’s, and your utility’s. Start with the utility, because a landlord will ask whether it’s allowed. Ask these three questions and get the answers in writing:
- “Do you have an interconnection requirement for a plug-in solar device under 1,200 watts with a UL-listed inverter?”
- “If it never sends power back to the grid, does that change your answer?”
- “Can you send me that in writing, or point me to the tariff section?”
If you get a written answer, send it to hello@mlighthouse.com. We’ll add it to this page with the utility named and you left out.
If you own your home
You have the same utility question as a renter, and one more option: a conventional rooftop or ground-mount system goes through your utility’s standard interconnection process instead. It costs more and takes longer, but the rules are written down.
Where the bills stand
SB 3104
Plug-In Solar Energy Systems. Passed Senate Energy and Public Utilities as amended 2026-03-12 (9-4-0); never called for a third reading. Last bill action 2026-05-22: Rule 3-9(a) / re-referred to Assignments; floor amendments 4, 5 and 7 sent to Assignments 2026-07-02. Parked but not dead; the 104th General Assembly runs to January 2027. Checked 2026-10-13.
ilga.govHB 4524
Plug-In Solar Energy Systems. Last action 2026-03-27: Rule 19(a) / re-referred to House Rules Committee (co-sponsor added 2026-04-15). Parked but not dead. Checked 2026-10-13.
ilga.govWhat the pending bill would do
The latest committee version of SB 3104 would cover plug-in systems that export no more than 1,200 watts to an outlet.
“can export no more than 1,200 watts to a receiving outlet”
ilga.gov ↗Utilities could not require approval, fees or extra equipment for these systems.
“An electricity provider shall not require an eligible customer who uses, or intends to install and use, a plug-in solar energy system to do any of the following”
ilga.gov ↗A later amendment would have the owner notify the utility within 30 days of installing.
“Within 30 days after the installation of a plug-in solar energy system, the owner of the plug-in solar energy system shall notify the electricity provider”
ilga.gov ↗Landlords could not unreasonably restrict plug-in solar in leases signed or renewed after the law took effect.
“Landlords shall not adopt or enforce any lease or contract that unreasonably restricts or prohibits, or has the effect of prohibiting, the installation or use of a plug-in solar energy system.”
ilga.gov ↗Systems over 391 watts would be barred until the National Electrical Code sets a standard for them, so the bill's working limit would be 391 watts for now.
“The installation of a plug-in solar energy system that has a maximum output to a receptacle outlet of more than 391 watts is prohibited until the National Fire Protection Association”
ilga.gov ↗
What Illinois'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.
ComEd
ComEd requires an interconnection application for any customer generation that supplies energy to the grid, with no size exemption stated. The page does not mention plug-in or portable solar.
“Interconnection applications are required for all private generation systems (PGS) supplying energy to the electrical grid.”
comed.com ↗Ameren Illinois
Ameren's Level 1 application covers lab-certified inverter systems of 25 kW or less, with a $50 fee. The page does not mention plug-in or portable solar.
“AN APPLICATION FEE OF $50.00 MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH THE APPLICATION.”
ameren.com ↗
Who to ask
- Illinois Commerce Commission, Consumer Services ↗
Helps resolve informal complaints about electric, gas, telephone, sewer and water service.
Sources read and quotes checked 2026-09-22.
What an 800 W kit makes in Illinois
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
702
kWh / year
800W, south-facing railing, no shade
Electricity rate
18.81
¢ / kWh
EIA, 2025-07 to 2026-06
Yearly savings
$106
per year, before kit cost
assumes 80% self-use
Sun
4.69
peak sun hours / day
optimal tilt, Chicago
Output is modeled at Chicago 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. Illinois has no plug-in solar law yet, so ask your utility before you connect one.
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 Illinois
Is plug-in solar legal in Illinois?
Not yet. Illinois has no law allowing plug-in solar, but 2 bills would create one. Here is where they stand, with the official bill page.
When could plug-in solar become legal in Illinois?
SB 3104: Plug-In Solar Energy Systems. Passed Senate Energy and Public Utilities as amended 2026-03-12 (9-4-0); never called for a third reading. Last bill action 2026-05-22: Rule 3-9(a) / re-referred to Assignments; floor amendments 4, 5 and 7 sent to Assignments 2026-07-02. Parked but not dead; the 104th General Assembly runs to January 2027. Checked 2026-10-13. HB 4524: Plug-In Solar Energy Systems. Last action 2026-03-27: Rule 19(a) / re-referred to House Rules Committee (co-sponsor added 2026-04-15). Parked but not dead. Checked 2026-10-13.
How much could an 800W kit save in Illinois?
About $106 a year, before the kit's cost, for an unshaded 800W panel on a south-facing railing at 18.81¢/kWh. That assumes you use 80% of what it makes. Run the calculator for your own numbers.