Is plug-in solar legal in Michigan? (2026)
Not yet. Michigan has no law allowing plug-in solar, but HB 5764 would create one. Here is where it stands, with the official bill page.
Bill pending
Michigan has no plug-in solar law; HB 5764 (small portable solar generation devices) is in the House Energy Committee.
- Watt cap
- —
- Permit
- —
- Interconnection
- —
- Utility notice
- —
- Equipment
- —
- Law
- —
- Signed
- —
- Effective
- —
Official sources
- legislature.mi.govwww.legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2026-HB-5764
- legislature.mi.govwww.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2025-2026/billintroduced/House/htm/2026-HIB-576
Research notes
Official page confirms: 'regulations regarding small portable solar generation devices; provide for', amends 2008 PA 295 by adding sec. 115, sponsor Rep. Will Snyder with bipartisan co-sponsors. Bill text read 2026-09-22: 1,200 W cap, standard 120-volt outlet, outage cutoff, NEC compliance, UL-or-equivalent certification, exemption from the distributed generation program and part 5 interconnection, utility notice on a Commission form within 30 days of installation, and no provider approval, fee or extra controls. Fields wattCap/interconnection/notice/UL stay null because the bill is not law; these are bill text only. SB 731/732 (2025) surfaced in searches but the official pages describe distributed generation/storage/aggregation programs, not plug-in solar.
“—” 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 bill stands
HB 5764
Introduced 2026-03-19 and referred to House Committee on Energy; no further action. Alive until the 103rd Legislature ends December 2026. Checked 2026-09-20.
legislature.mi.govWhat the pending bill would do
HB 5764 (pending) would cover moveable plug-in systems of no more than 1,200 watts that plug into a standard 120-volt outlet.
“Has a maximum power output of not more than 1,200 watts.”
legislature.mi.gov ↗The system would have to be certified by UL or an equivalent lab, meet the current National Electrical Code, and shut off during a power outage so it cannot energize the building.
“Is certified by the Underwriters Laboratories or an equivalent nationally recognized testing laboratory.”
legislature.mi.gov ↗Within 30 days of installing a system, the customer would have to notify their utility on a form set by the PSC. The form would list the service address and inverter capacity.
“not later than 30 days after the plug-in photovoltaic system is installed.”
legislature.mi.gov ↗The utility could not require its approval, charge a fee, or require extra controls or equipment.
“An electric provider shall not do any of the following regarding a customer that installs and uses a plug-in photovoltaic system: … (b) Collect a fee or other charge related to the installation and use of the system.”
legislature.mi.gov ↗If the system were installed on a meter or service panel the customer does not own, they would have to avoid damaging the structure and restore it on removal.
“the customer must ensure that the installation does not compromise the integrity of the structure at which the meter or service panel is located”
legislature.mi.gov ↗
What Michigan'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.
DTE Electric
DTE says to wait for its approval before installing, and it visits to test the system before it is switched on. The page does not mention plug-in or portable solar.
“You should wait for DTE to approve the interconnection application before beginning installation.”
dteenergy.com ↗Consumers Energy
Consumers Energy's Distributed Generation page requires an Interconnection Application with a $50 fee. Level 1 covers generators of 20 kW or less that use certified IEEE 1547.1/UL 1741 equipment. The page does not mention plug-in solar.
“Level 1: An eligible electric generator creating 20 kilowatts (kW) or less at a single site.”
consumersenergy.com ↗
Who to ask
- Michigan Public Service Commission, Customer Assistance (Inquiries & Complaints) ↗
Takes informal complaints about electric, gas, telecom and video service and refers them to the company, which has 10 business days to investigate.
Sources read and quotes checked 2026-09-22.
What an 800 W kit makes in Michigan
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
758
kWh / year
800W, south-facing railing, no shade
Electricity rate
20.79
¢ / kWh
EIA, 2025-07 to 2026-06
Yearly savings
$126
per year, before kit cost
assumes 80% self-use
Sun
4.82
peak sun hours / day
optimal tilt, Detroit
Output is modeled at Detroit 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. Michigan has no plug-in solar law yet, so ask your utility before you connect one.
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 Michigan
Is plug-in solar legal in Michigan?
Not yet. Michigan has no law allowing plug-in solar, but HB 5764 would create one. Here is where it stands, with the official bill page.
When could plug-in solar become legal in Michigan?
HB 5764: Introduced 2026-03-19 and referred to House Committee on Energy; no further action. Alive until the 103rd Legislature ends December 2026. Checked 2026-09-20.
How much could an 800W kit save in Michigan?
About $126 a year, before the kit's cost, for an unshaded 800W panel on a south-facing railing at 20.79¢/kWh. That assumes you use 80% of what it makes. Run the calculator for your own numbers.