You don’t need to
own a roof to go solar.
Plug-in solar (also called balcony solar) is a small panel that sits on your balcony or window ledge and connects to a regular wall outlet. It starts trimming your electric bill the day you plug it in, and you don’t need a roof, a permit, or an installer to get there. If you rent, it works just as well.
it’s now law
per panel
pays for itself
A year and a half ago, one state allowed this.
Now it’s ten, with one more deciding.
California became the tenth state on September 30, when Governor Newsom signed the Plug and Play Solar Act, four weeks after New Jersey became the ninth. That leaves New York, still waiting on Governor Hochul. Below: every law, the week it happened, and what’s still pending.
it’s now law
governor’s desk
takes effect
Signing dates per state records; Virginia and Maine approximate to the month. Count is enacted laws, not effective dates. Dotted projection assumes New York’s bill is signed. Last verified October 25, 2026 · corrections
Full state tracker →The sun comes up for renters, too.
What happens when you plug a panel in
There are really only four steps between sunlight and a smaller bill.
Sunlight hits the panel
The panel sits on your balcony railing, window ledge, or a ground stand. South-facing is ideal, but east or west works too. It just sits there soaking up light all day.
A microinverter converts it
The panel generates DC electricity, and a small box called a microinverter (usually included in the kit) turns it into the same AC power your home already runs on. You don’t have to do a thing.
It plugs into a regular outlet
The cable runs from the microinverter to a standard outdoor or indoor outlet, the same kind you’d plug a lamp into. In most places that means no electrician, no rewiring, and no permit.
Your bill goes down
Whatever the panel generates is power you don’t buy from the grid. Most people see $5–$23 less per month per 400W panel, which isn’t dramatic, but it adds up, and the panels last 25+ years.
PBS NewsHour · They covered plug-in solar before most people had heard of it. The math has only gotten better since.
Where are you starting from?
Tell us which of these sounds like you, and we’ll point you at the parts worth your time.
So how much would solar save you?
Enter your address and we’ll check your local sun exposure and your state’s legality rules, then show you what you’d save and which kits fit your setup. It’s free, and we never ask for your email.
savings estimate
Once the math makes sense,
the next question is what to buy.
We read the certifications, prices and fine print on the complete plug-in solar kits sold in the US, and four earned a place here: the best value, the easiest start for a balcony, the most output for a patio or yard, and a zero-export kit for states without a law yet.
The numbers
A 400W panel generates about 54 kWh per month in average US sunlight. What that electricity is worth to you depends on what your utility charges, and that varies a lot.
kWh / month
Output of one 400W panel
at 4.5 peak sun hours / day
US average sun conditions
| State / region | Avg rate | Monthly savings | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $0.42/kWh | $22.70 | ~2 yrs |
| California | $0.33/kWh | $17.80 | ~3 yrs |
| US average | $0.19/kWh | $10.30 | ~5 yrs |
| Midwest | $0.12/kWh | $6.50 | 9+ yrs |
Based on 54 kWh/month output (400W × 4.5 peak sun hrs × 30 days). EIA residential rates, June 2026. No federal tax credits currently available. Full methodology →
Laws & coverage
How solar-friendly is your state?
Ten states have enacted plug-in solar laws, and New York’s bill is waiting on the governor’s signature. Tap your state for the details, or open the full tracker for every law and bill.
How much solar has each state installed so far?
Whether it’s legal is one question; whether people are doing it is another. This is cumulative installed solar capacity (utility-scale, commercial, and rooftop combined) by state, from the Solar Energy Industries Association’s state-by-state data, updated June 2026.
| Rank | State | Installed capacity | Homes powered | Share of electricity from solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 55,510 MW | 16,271,789 | 38.0% |
| 2 | Texas | 53,568 MW | 6,564,561 | 11.4% |
| 3 | Florida | 21,968 MW | 2,619,359 | 11.3% |
| 4 | Arizona | 11,751 MW | 1,760,320 | 17.6% |
| 5 | North Carolina | 10,027 MW | 1,203,602 | 10.1% |
| 6 | Illinois | 8,290 MW | 1,278,181 | 4.8% |
| 7 | Nevada | 8,244 MW | 1,419,101 | 33.5% |
| 8 | New York | 8,226 MW | 1,388,401 | 7.7% |
| 9 | Georgia | 7,675 MW | 904,864 | 8.1% |
| 10 | Virginia | 7,569 MW | 859,526 | 9.5% |
Show all 50 states
| Rank | State | Installed capacity | Homes powered | Share of electricity from solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Indiana | 7,148 MW | 850,372 | 7.1% |
| 12 | Ohio | 6,182 MW | 769,555 | 4.6% |
| 13 | Massachusetts | 5,881 MW | 970,129 | 24.7% |
| 14 | Colorado | 5,687 MW | 1,204,548 | 14.2% |
| 15 | Utah | 4,675 MW | 867,577 | 15.3% |
| 16 | New Mexico | 4,291 MW | 1,061,477 | 17.8% |
| 17 | Arkansas | 3,938 MW | 465,938 | 8.1% |
| 18 | Wisconsin | 3,502 MW | 588,906 | 6.8% |
| 19 | Michigan | 3,193 MW | 542,526 | 2.8% |
| 20 | Maryland | 3,160 MW | 373,334 | 7.9% |
| 21 | South Carolina | 3,118 MW | 377,322 | 3.9% |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | 3,086 MW | 388,392 | 1.4% |
| 23 | Minnesota | 2,852 MW | 413,627 | 4.4% |
| 24 | Hawaii | 2,155 MW | 570,879 | 22.7% |
| 25 | Connecticut | 2,108 MW | 306,592 | 5.6% |
| 26 | Oregon | 2,029 MW | 267,549 | 5.2% |
| 27 | Louisiana | 1,954 MW | 201,905 | 2.8% |
| 28 | Maine | 1,952 MW | 367,595 | 17.8% |
| 29 | Mississippi | 1,915 MW | 207,472 | 3.5% |
| 30 | Missouri | 1,772 MW | 200,096 | 2.3% |
| 31 | Kentucky | 1,708 MW | 176,362 | 2.8% |
| 32 | Idaho | 1,301 MW | 186,899 | 9.0% |
| 33 | Rhode Island | 1,277 MW | 240,864 | 10.8% |
| 34 | Iowa | 1,232 MW | 160,652 | 2.5% |
| 35 | Tennessee | 1,206 MW | 123,283 | 1.9% |
| 36 | Alabama | 1,078 MW | 119,500 | 1.0% |
| 37 | Oklahoma | 842 MW | 105,048 | 1.1% |
| 38 | Kansas | 463 MW | 68,917 | 1.1% |
| 39 | West Virginia | 383 MW | 37,963 | 0.7% |
| 40 | New Hampshire | 380 MW | 57,382 | 2.1% |
| 41 | Montana | 369 MW | 52,612 | 1.7% |
| 42 | Delaware | 352 MW | 41,774 | 7.3% |
| 43 | Wyoming | 334 MW | 53,950 | 1.1% |
| 44 | South Dakota | 270 MW | 33,512 | 2.0% |
| 45 | Nebraska | 226 MW | 30,322 | 0.8% |
| 46 | Alaska | 35 MW | 4,250 | 0.3% |
| n/a | Vermont | data pending | 76,247 | n/a |
| n/a | North Dakota | data pending | 271 | n/a |
| n/a | New Jersey | data pending | 906,893 | n/a |
| n/a | Washington | data pending | 73,960 | n/a |
Source: SEIA state solar data, June 2026. Four states (New Jersey, Vermont, Washington, North Dakota) have incomplete capacity data as of publishing, shown below with partial figures only.
The Current
The latest on plug-in solar
New laws, safety certifications and honest math, written for renters and everyone else. Updated as the market moves.
- Shopping for Plug-In Solar This Black Friday? Read This First.
Black Friday is the first big sale weekend since plug-in solar became legal in ten states. How to spot a real deal, the four kits we’d buy, and what to skip. - Four States Change Their Plug-In Solar Rules on January 1. Here’s How to Be Ready.
On January 1, 2027, California, Virginia and New Hampshire switch on their plug-in solar laws and Colorado’s renter and HOA protections begin. What changes in each state and what to do before then. - Congress Has Its First Plug-In Solar Bill. Here’s What the Socket Full of Sunshine Act Would Do.
Congress has its first plug-in solar bill. H.R. 10851 would push every state to consider plug-in rules and fund rebates up to $1,000, but only where renters are protected and kits are mostly made in the US.
Read everything in The Current →
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