California Legalizes Plug-In "Balcony Solar," Opening Clean Power to Renters
Small panels that plug into a wall outlet no longer need utility permission under the new Plug and Play Solar Act.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed the Plug and Play Solar Act, making California one of the largest places in the U.S. to allow small plug-in solar panels without permission from a utility, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Solar without a roof
Plug-in or "balcony" solar systems are small panel kits that hang on a railing or sit on a patio and plug directly into a standard outlet. They have been popular in Germany for years, where millions of households use them, but U.S. rules have mostly required the same utility approvals as a full rooftop system.
That left out the people least able to install rooftop solar: renters, condo owners and apartment dwellers.
Cheaper than ever
The timing is good. Solar panels that cost $5 to $6 per watt about 26 years ago now cost around 12 cents per watt, according to a Futurism analysis, and solar produced more U.S. electricity than coal in June.
More sunny news
- In Pennsylvania, a state grant program has helped 85 schools go solar, including 10 in Philadelphia, covering up to 75% of costs, WHYY reports.
- A Massachusetts school debuted electric buses parked under a 625-kilowatt solar canopy, with an estimated $2.33 million in savings over 25 years, according to The Cool Down.