States OK solar panels for balconies. Safety guidelines haven’t caught up.

By Alex Brown, Stateline
September 30, 2026

Over the past year and a half, a dozen states have embraced a new vision for solar power: small, cheap panels that can be hung from a balcony or porch, be plugged into a standard wall outlet and take a dent out of residents’ utility bills. 

These systems, known as balcony solar or plug-in solar, are attractive because they can be installed without permits, contractors or large investments. They can allow renters to tap into clean electricity. 

Lawmakers say the systems can help at a time when residents’ power bills are skyrocketing and utilities are struggling to keep pace with demand. They also can be paired with a battery, which can provide backup power during area outages. 

Backers see a future in which solar panels deployed across millions of balconies, porches and yards could ease strain on the electrical grid and save residents hundreds of dollars each year on their power bills. 

Twelve states — Republican and Democratic alike — have recently passed bills authorizing residents to install such systems. Nine have been signed into law, while three are awaiting signatures from a governor. 

But for most Americans, even some in states that have passed laws, the systems still sit in a legal gray area. That’s because the “plug and play” simplicity that creates balcony solar’s appeal might not yet work safely with most household electrical systems, experts and utilities say. Work is underway to develop industry standards for such products, and advocates agree that such guidelines are necessary to draw manufacturers to the U.S. market. 

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Backers say that plug-in solar systems have a long track record of operating safely in Germany and other countries, and argue that it’s imperative for the standards to allow for products that do not require a permit, home upgrades or a certified electrician to install. 

Meanwhile, power utilities haven’t strongly opposed the bills, though some have expressed concerns that unregistered systems could affect power flows or endanger line workers. 

For all the legislative action to boost balcony solar, advocates say the market won’t take off until safety groups give the all-clear for systems that don’t require red tape or electrical upgrades. 

Solar bills

The recent burst of balcony solar bills kicked off in Utah. Republican state Rep. Ray Ward read an article about the balcony solar boom in Germany, where the devices have surged in popularity and are widely available in stores such as IKEA. 

In Germany, more than 1 million balcony solar systems have been installed across the country, providing more than 2 gigawatts of power — the equivalent of a large power plant. 

“I thought, ‘How come I cannot do that in Utah and in the U.S.?’” Ward said. 

In Utah, as in many states, putting any amount of power onto the grid requires a contract with a utility, an impossible barrier for the average homeowner. Ward’s bill removes that requirement for solar panels up to 1,200 watts, roughly the amount of power used by a hair dryer. 

The bill passed unanimously through both houses of the Utah legislature last year, and Ward has balcony solar at his home. But the law also requires systems to meet National Electrical Code and Underwriters Laboratories certification standards, guidelines that are still in development.

“The safety standards don’t exist, even though the products are plainly safe,” Ward said. “There is a way to make it safe, as Germany has shown, and we’ve just got to get safety standards in place here.”

Since Utah’s bill became law, state lawmakers across the country have drafted similar bills. 

Many of the bills also prevent landlords and homeowners associations from restricting balcony solar. And many also seek to establish safety guidelines for the technology. 

“These things are just easy, simple, affordable, permitless ways to generate your own electricity — in whatever your living arrangement is — that enables everyone to contribute to reducing energy consumption in our country,” said Virginia state Sen. Scott Surovell, a Democrat. 

His bill drew bipartisan support and was signed into law in April. 

In New York, a bill passed in May awaits action by Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul.

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“These solar panels could help you save 10% of your electricity bill each month, which is significant considering how much costs are going up,” said New York state Sen. Liz Krueger, a Democrat who sponsored the balcony solar bill. “In New York city, a huge percentage of us are renters, and up until now there’s been no way for us to participate in green energy or energy lowering projects.”

Krueger said Hochul may ask for some small technical changes, which lawmakers are prepared to adopt.

Colorado enacted a new law in May. 

“With power prices going up, people are wanting to find a way to be able to participate and have some control over their own energy,” said Colorado state Sen. Cathy Kipp, a Democrat who sponsored the measure. “As more states adopt it, it will drive down costs, which will further increase adoption.” 

Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Vermont have also enacted balcony solar laws since 2025. Bills in California and Massachusetts have passed and sit on the governor’s desk. 

The state measures have been supported by Bright Saver, a nonprofit advocacy group that envisions 60 million balcony solar panels deployed across the country by 2035. Cora Stryker, the group’s co-founder, said several lawmakers told her they’d never seen a measure go from an idea to a law so quickly. 

But the success of those new laws, she said, hinges on the development of safety standards that allow balcony solar systems to be simple “plug and play” devices. 

“The widespread adoption we’re talking about will only happen when we get out of this legal gray area and every American can feel confident that they can plug it in without contacting their utility,” she said. 

Bright Saver sells balcony solar systems at cost, offering 180-watt panels for $285 and 360-watt panels for $414. But it cannot sell to customers in some states that have passed solar legislation, because products don’t yet exist that can meet their safety certifications. 

Other companies sell kits online, but experts say it’s hard for customers to know if those devices meet safety thresholds. While backers do not have estimates for nationwide adoption totals, they say the numbers will remain low until balcony solar systems are widely available at popular retailers. 

Safety standards

Underwriters Laboratories, a global safety science company, recently issued certification standards that would require residents to modify circuits before plugging in devices — a hurdle that advocates fear could slow the adoption of balcony solar. 

The main concern, experts say, is that power outlets in U.S. homes are not designed to carry power in two directions. Sending electricity back into the system could bypass circuit protection devices, overloading wires and creating fire or shock hazards. 

“Some of these (bills and laws) are a little ahead of their time,” said Nadav Enbar, program manager at the nonprofit Electric Power Research Institute. “There isn’t yet a product that can meet the letter of the law.”

Some of the state laws call for products to achieve certification from Underwriters Laboratories. The company issued its certification program, known as an outline of investigation, in January.

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While those guidelines are still working through a committee process — which could take a year or more — to be finalized as a permanent standard, the company says they still count as official certification for manufacturers seeking to comply with state laws. 

The current certification requires residents to modify circuits in their home to safely receive electricity. Electrical experts said it’s possible that manufacturers will eventually be able to develop balcony solar systems that address the circuit overload concerns with onboard technology.

“Could there in the future be another way to address these problems? Sure,” said Joe Bablo, principal engineering manager with UL Solutions, one of the three organizations that makes up Underwriters Laboratories. “Will the standard adapt to that? Of course.”

The certification also requires the use of a proprietary connector that ensures the blades will not continue carrying electricity after being unplugged from the wall. 

The National Electric Code offers another possibility for a widely accepted standard that manufacturers could follow, but new revisions to the code will not be issued until 2029.

Some utilities have also raised concerns about large-scale adoption affecting local power flows, or solar systems feeding power into the grid during blackouts and putting line workers at risk. Utility leaders have called for a program that requires balcony solar users to register or notify utilities when installing their devices. 

“We just need people to let us know what they’re plugging in, so we can track anything that feeds back into the grid and can be a danger to line workers,” said David Eisenhauer, spokesperson for the California power utility Southern California Edison.

The utility initially opposed the California bill, but adopted a neutral position after language was added to allow utilities to require registration of balcony solar units. 

Stateline reporter Alex Brown can be reached at abrown@stateline.org. 

Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org.