Is plug-in solar legal in Virginia? (2026)
Not yet. Virginia passed HB 395 / SB 250, which takes effect 2027-01-01. The limit is 1,200 watts.
Legal from 2027-01-01
Virginia has enacted a plug-in solar law allowing outlet-connected devices up to 1,200 watts without interconnection or utility approval, but its main provisions do not take effect until January 1, 2027, and customers must notify their utility on a state form before installing.
- Watt cap
- 1,200 W
- Permit
- —
- Interconnection
- Not required
- Utility notice
- Required
- Equipment
- Certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory (29 C.F.R. § 1910.7) or equivalent NRTL and meets the most recent National Electrical Code; no specific UL standard number named. Devices with output to the receptacle of 391 W or less are exempt from product listing provisions that would require alterations to premises, wiring or panels.
- Law
- HB 395 / SB 250 · Electric utilities; small portable solar generation devices; Residential Landlord and Tenant Act
- Signed
- 2026-04-22
- Effective
- 2027-01-01
Official sources
- HB 395 / SB 250, lis.virginia.govlis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB395
- HB 395 / SB 250, law.lis.virginia.govlaw.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title56/chapter23/section56-596.8/
- HB 395 / SB 250, lis.blob.core.windows.netlis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1225204.PDF
- HB 395 / SB 250, lis.blob.core.windows.netlis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1225038.PDF
Research notes
Identical companion bills: HB 395 = 2026 Acts of Assembly Chapter 1052; SB 250 = Chapter 998; both 'Approved April 22, 2026' (reconvened session, after Governor's recommendations). Enactment clause 4: 'the provisions of the first enactment of this act shall become effective on January 1, 2027' - so the substantive rules (new Code §§ 56-596.7 (codified in the official Code of Virginia as § 56-596.8, checked 2026-09-22) and 55.1-1212.1, amended 15.2-2288.7, 56-594 etc.) are NOT in effect until 2027-01-01. The secondary lead's 'effective 2026-07-01' is wrong for the core provisions; only enactments 2-3 (SCC must publish a notification form by Sept 1, 2026; Secretary of Commerce and Trade safety work group reporting by Nov 15, 2026) run on the normal schedule. Status kept 'legal' because the law is enacted; site copy must say 'takes effect Jan 1, 2027'. Definition: moveable PV device, max output not more than 1,200 W per customer (or per residential unit in multifamily), connects through an electrical outlet, customer side of meter, meets current NEC, NRTL-certified, prevents export/energizing during outage. Exempt from interconnection, net metering and utility approval; utility may not charge fees or require extra equipment, BUT the customer must notify the utility on the SCC form (online or mail) before installing; utility has 15 days to review for completeness, after which the customer is deemed compliant. Utility/co-op may install an automatic locking disconnect switch where more than one device is at a property or if the circuit requires it. Landlords owning more than 4 units (or >10% interest in >4) may not prohibit a tenant from installing on the exterior of the tenant's premises but may set reasonable size/place/manner rules; tenant must give 7 days' notice with documentation; tenant liable for damage; not available to units on ratio utility billing (RUBS). Localities may not prohibit on residential structures (subject to height/setback/historic district rules); law does NOT override HOA/condo/POA covenants (new 15.2-2288.7 F). Statute silent on building/electrical permits (permitRequired=null). Outlet: 'an electrical outlet' (no dedicated-circuit requirement stated). The LIS bill-details pages are JavaScript apps; bill version/chapter data was read from the LIS public API that powers them.
“—” means our record has no sourced value · Not legal advice
If you rent
The law isn't in effect yet (it starts 2027-01-01), 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 2027-01-01, 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 Virginia's law says (takes effect 2027-01-01)
The law covers outlet-connected devices of up to 1,200 W per customer, or per unit in multifamily housing.
“has a maximum power output of not more than 1,200 watts per customer or, in the case of multi-family housing, per residential building unit”
law.lis.virginia.gov ↗Utilities may not require approval before a device is installed or used. The same subsection bars fees and extra equipment.
“No electric service provider shall require a customer using a small portable solar generation device to obtain the electric service provider's approval before installing or using the device”
law.lis.virginia.gov ↗Before installing, the customer notifies the utility on a form set by the State Corporation Commission.
“any customer of an electric service provider shall notify the electric service provider by submitting the form established by the Commission, online or by mail, prior to the installation”
law.lis.virginia.gov ↗A landlord who owns more than four units may not ban installing a device on the outside of a tenant's home, though reasonable rules on size, place and manner are allowed.
“No landlord who owns more than four rental dwelling units … shall prohibit a tenant from installing a small portable solar generation device on the exterior of the tenant's premises”
law.lis.virginia.gov ↗The law does not override private agreements such as HOA, condo or property-owners' association rules.
“Nothing in this section shall be construed to supersede or limit contracts or agreements between or among individuals or private entities related to the use of real property”
lis.blob.core.windows.net ↗
What Virginia'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.
Dominion Energy Virginia
Dominion has net metering customers file a notification form before installing, and says it reviews only the interconnection's compatibility with the grid. The page does not mention plug-in or portable solar.
“Dominion Energy only reviews the proposed interconnection for compatibility with the electric distribution system, based on UL 1741/IEEE 1547 standards.”
dominionenergy.com ↗Appalachian Power (Virginia)
Its Virginia net metering package requires notice and approval before any installation. The page does not mention plug-in or portable solar.
“A prospective net metering customer shall notify and receive approval to interconnect prior to starting any construction, installation or addition of capacity to an electrical generating facility”
appalachianpower.com ↗
Who to ask
- Virginia State Corporation Commission, Division of Public Utility Regulation ↗
Investigates complaints that a utility is not following its approved tariffs. It does not handle municipal utilities.
Sources read and quotes checked 2026-09-22.
What an 800 W kit makes in Virginia
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
738
kWh / year
800W, south-facing railing, no shade
Electricity rate
16.41
¢ / kWh
EIA, 2025-07 to 2026-06
Yearly savings
$97
per year, before kit cost
assumes 80% self-use
Sun
4.98
peak sun hours / day
optimal tilt, Richmond
Output is modeled at Richmond 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. Virginia's law isn't in effect yet (it starts 2027-01-01). Virginia'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 Virginia
Is plug-in solar legal in Virginia?
Not yet. Virginia passed HB 395 / SB 250, which takes effect 2027-01-01. The limit is 1,200 watts.
Is there a wattage limit in Virginia?
Yes. Virginia's law covers systems up to 1,200 watts.
Do I have to tell my utility?
Yes, according to the law cited on this page.
How much could an 800W kit save in Virginia?
About $97 a year, before the kit's cost, for an unshaded 800W panel on a south-facing railing at 16.41¢/kWh. That assumes you use 80% of what it makes. Run the calculator for your own numbers.