Plug-in solar is a small kit you plug into a regular outlet -- no electrician, no roof crew. A growing list of states has made it legal, but most of those laws require safety-certified equipment, and no kit has the required certification yet. We watch for the moment one does.
One email when it actually happens. No marketing, nothing to sell; we take no money from manufacturers.
| State | Power cap | What the law requires | Our verification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | 1920 W | A lab-certified kit above 391W; tiny setups at or under 391W are exempt. (law's terms: NRTL above 391W) | under review |
| Connecticut | 1200 W | Any kit certified by an accredited safety lab. (law's terms: NRTL) | under review |
| Maine | 1200 W | Depends how you read the law: the new plug-in solar certification (UL 3700) or something comparable -- vendors disagree. The smaller 420W self-install tier is the simpler path. (law's terms: UL 3700 or comparable, or NEC path (vendors disagree on the reading)) | under review |
| Maryland | 1200 W | A lab-certified kit above 391W; at or under 391W is exempt. (law's terms: UL/NRTL above 391W) | under review |
| New Hampshire | 1200 W | Any kit certified by an accredited safety lab; some building-code details are still pending. (law's terms: NRTL; building-code section contingent on DOE certifying standard) | under review |
| Utah | 1200 W | Any kit certified by an accredited safety lab (like UL); standard wiring rules apply. (law's terms: generic UL/NRTL + NEC) | under review |
| Vermont | 1200 W | Only kits certified to the new plug-in solar standard (UL 3700) -- none exist yet, so nothing qualifies today. (law's terms: UL 3700 or equivalent REQUIRED) | under review |
| Virginia | 1200 W | Any kit certified by an accredited safety lab. (law's terms: NRTL) | under review |
| Plug-in solar | A small solar kit you plug into a regular wall outlet -- no electrician, no roof crew. Sometimes called "balcony solar." |
| UL | A big safety-testing company. Their logo is on your toaster and power strips. When a lab like UL "certifies" a product, it means they tested it and vouch for it. |
| NRTL | Short for "Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory" -- any safety lab the government has accredited to certify products. UL is the famous one. |
| UL 3700 | A brand-new safety standard written specifically for plug-in solar kits. Several state laws say: you can plug in, but only a kit certified to this standard. No kit has that certification yet -- which is exactly what this site watches for. |
| NEC | The National Electrical Code -- the rulebook electricians follow. |
| "Certified" vs "compliant" | Certified = an independent lab tested it and lists it. "Compliant" or "designed to meet" = the manufacturer's own claim. Not the same thing; we only count certified. |
| Watts (W) | How much power the kit can make. 1,200 W is roughly two to three large panels -- enough to cover a fridge plus some electronics while the sun shines. |