Is plug-in solar legal in Vermont? (2026)
Yes. Vermont allows plug-in solar under S.202, in effect since 2026-07-01. The limit is 1,200 watts. No interconnection agreement is required.
Legal
Vermont law (Act 149, S.202) lets customers use UL 3700-certified plug-in solar devices totaling up to 1,200 watts per meter without an interconnection agreement or utility approval, effective July 1, 2026.
- Watt cap
- 1,200 W
- Permit
- —
- Interconnection
- Not required
- Utility notice
- —
- Equipment
- UL 3700 (plug-in photovoltaic systems) by UL Solutions or an equivalent certification by an equivalent NRTL, installed and operated in compliance with IEEE 1547-2018 (30 V.S.A. § 201(9)(C)).
- Law
- S.202 · An act relating to plug-in photovoltaic devices
- Signed
- 2026-06-16
- Effective
- 2026-07-01
Official sources
- S.202, legislature.vermont.govlegislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2026/S.202
- S.202, legislature.vermont.govlegislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/ACTS/ACT149/ACT149%20As%20Enacted.pd
- S.202, legislature.vermont.govlegislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/ACTS/ACT149/ACT149%20Act%20Summary.p
Research notes
Act No. 149 (2026), new 30 V.S.A. § 256. One or more devices per electric meter with a maximum COMBINED inverter capacity of 1,200 W. Device connects by cord plugged into a receptacle (no dedicated-circuit requirement stated). Devices may only be connected to systems using smart meters. Device must be temporarily but securely attached to the ground or a structure, and must include a feature preventing it from energizing the building's system in an outage. Exempt from § 248 certificate of public good and from interconnection agreements, and not subject to PUC jurisdiction. Utility may not require approval, fees, or extra equipment, but may recover costs from service overloading. Statute is silent on whether a customer must notify the utility (it only bars requiring approval), so utilityNotice is null. Net-metering customers may not also install a plug-in device; exports are not compensated. Devices in public buildings must follow the Fire and Building Safety Code. Tenants must give the landlord at least 10 days' notice; landlord may respond within 10 days with reasonable restrictions (e.g., tenant pays for licensed electrical work); silence lets tenant proceed. Municipal zoning bylaws may not regulate installation of a plug-in device (24 V.S.A. § 4413(g)); deed restrictions/covenants may not prohibit them, and patio-railing carve-out does not apply to plug-in devices (27 V.S.A. § 544). Statute does not address building/electrical permits generally, so permitRequired is null.
“—” 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 1,200 watts the plug-in law no longer applies, and a system goes through the standard permit and interconnection process.
What Vermont's law says
You may run one or more devices per meter totaling up to 1,200 watts of inverter capacity, and only on a smart-metered service.
“A customer may install one or more plug-in photovoltaic devices per electric meter if the devices have a maximum combined inverter capacity of not more than 1,200 watts. Plug-in photovoltaic devices shall only be connected to systems using smart meters.”
legislature.vermont.gov ↗A compliant device needs no Certificate of Public Good and no interconnection agreement.
“The installation of a plug-in photovoltaic device that complies with subsection (a) of this section shall not be required to comply with the requirements of section 248 of this chapter, shall not be required to obtain an interconnection agreement with an electric distribution company”
legislature.vermont.gov ↗The utility cannot require its approval, charge a fee, or require added equipment.
“An electric distribution company shall not require a customer using a plug-in photovoltaic device … to: (1) obtain the company's approval before installing or using the device; (2) pay any fee or charge related to the installation of the device; or (3) install any additional controls or equipment”
legislature.vermont.gov ↗Net metering customers are excluded, and power sent to the grid earns nothing.
“A customer with a net metering system shall not also install a plug-in photovoltaic device. A plug-in photovoltaic device shall not be eligible for net metering. Generation exported to the grid … shall not be compensated by an electric distribution company.”
legislature.vermont.gov ↗A renter gives the landlord 10 days' notice. If the landlord doesn't answer within 10 days, the tenant may go ahead.
“A tenant shall provide at least 10 days’ notice to the landlord of the tenant’s intent to install a plug-in photovoltaic device … The landlord shall respond within 10 days with any reasonable restrictions on the installation of the device … If the landlord does not respond within 10 days, the tenant may proceed with installation.”
legislature.vermont.gov ↗
What Vermont'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.
Green Mountain Power
GMP routes anything from 0 to 15 kW through a Vermont PUC net-metering registration, and has not updated the page for Act 149. The page does not mention plug-in or portable solar.
“For projects 0-15kW: Apply through the Vermont PUC website via ePUC using Net-Metering Registration.”
greenmountainpower.com ↗Burlington Electric Department
BED describes the standard route: city permits plus a Certificate of Public Good filing. The page does not mention plug-in or portable solar.
“In addition to permitting, you need to file a Registration/Application for a Certificate of Public Good (CPG) with the State of Vermont.”
burlingtonelectric.com ↗
Who to ask
- Vermont Department of Public Service, Consumer Affairs and Public Information ↗
The state's first stop for a dispute with a regulated utility; it helps reach an informal resolution.
Sources read and quotes checked 2026-09-22.
What an 800 W kit makes in Vermont
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
714
kWh / year
800W, south-facing railing, no shade
Electricity rate
23.75
¢ / kWh
EIA, 2025-07 to 2026-06
Yearly savings
$136
per year, before kit cost
assumes 80% self-use
Sun
4.41
peak sun hours / day
optimal tilt, Burlington
Output is modeled at Burlington 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. Vermont'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 Vermont
Is plug-in solar legal in Vermont?
Yes. Vermont allows plug-in solar under S.202, in effect since 2026-07-01. The limit is 1,200 watts. No interconnection agreement is required.
Is there a wattage limit in Vermont?
Yes. Vermont's law covers systems up to 1,200 watts.
How much could an 800W kit save in Vermont?
About $136 a year, before the kit's cost, for an unshaded 800W panel on a south-facing railing at 23.75¢/kWh. That assumes you use 80% of what it makes. Run the calculator for your own numbers.