Four States Change Their Plug-In Solar Rules on January 1. Here’s How to Be Ready.

← The Current  ·  October 26, 2026  ·  State laws  ·  7 min read

New Year’s Day is going to be a big one for plug-in solar. On January 1, 2027, California, Virginia and New Hampshire switch on their plug-in solar laws, and Colorado’s protections for renters and HOA residents kick in the same morning. That’s tens of millions of people who will be able to plug a small solar panel into a regular outlet without asking the utility first. Here’s what changes in each state, what you’ll need, and what you can do in the next nine weeks so you’re ready on day one.

The short version. January 1, 2027: California (1,200 watts per home, a simple utility registration at most), Virginia (1,200 watts, a utility form before you install, and renter protections in larger buildings), New Hampshire (1,200 watts per meter, no utility approval) and Colorado (landlords and HOAs can no longer unreasonably say no). New Jersey follows on March 1. New York’s bill is still waiting on Governor Hochul. In every state, use certified equipment and read your lease before you buy.

California

The biggest change of the four. SB 868 lets any household plug in up to 1,200 watts of solar per dwelling, which is about three standard 400-watt panels. There’s no interconnection agreement, no utility fee and no permission to ask for, although PG&E, SCE or SDG&E may ask you to fill in a short online registration. The equipment has to be certified as a plug-in system by UL or an equivalent lab.

• What you’ll need: a certified kit and, possibly, five minutes for the utility’s registration form.
• If you rent: the law doesn’t mention landlords, so your lease still decides. Check it now, while there’s time to ask.
• One thing to know: the law’s key protections are written to expire in 2030 unless lawmakers extend them. Senator Wiener’s office has also said fully compatible kits should reach California shoppers around spring 2027, so a fully certified kit may take a little longer to find than the law takes to start.

See our California guide for what you’d save at California rates.

Virginia

Virginia’s law allows up to 1,200 watts on equipment certified by a nationally recognized testing lab. It asks a little more paperwork of you than most states: you notify your utility on a State Corporation Commission form before you install. It also does something most laws don’t, and protects some renters.

• What you’ll need: a certified kit and the utility notice form, filed before you plug in.
• If you rent: a landlord who owns more than four rental units can’t prohibit your system, though they can set reasonable rules on size, placement and manner. You give them 7 days’ notice first. Smaller landlords aren’t covered, so check your lease.
• If you have an HOA: the law doesn’t override HOA rules, so read your covenants.

New Hampshire

New Hampshire keeps it simple. One plug-in system per metered customer, up to 1,200 watts, with no utility approval, no interconnection agreement and no fees, as long as the equipment is certified by an accredited lab. Telling the utility afterward is optional.

• What you’ll need: a certified kit. That’s about it!
• If you rent: the law doesn’t address landlords or HOAs, so your lease and any association rules still apply.

Colorado

Colorado’s law has already been in effect since August 12, 2026, with the highest limit in the country: 1,920 watts, one system per address. On January 1, two more pieces arrive.

• Renters: no one can unreasonably prohibit a plug-in system. Landlords can set reasonable rules and require notice before you install, but a flat ban isn’t allowed anymore.
• HOAs: associations can’t ban them.
• Equipment: systems over 391 watts sold in Colorado have to be UL labeled and listed. If you’re shopping now, buy one that already is.

What to do before January 1

• Read your lease. Look for anything about balconies, exterior changes or electrical equipment. Many leases say nothing at all, and that’s useful to know too.
• Pick certified equipment. Every one of these laws requires it. Look for a lab certification (UL or another nationally recognized lab) on the actual product, and remember that compliant isn’t the same as certified. Our recommended kits explain what each one has actually been certified for.
• Measure your space. A 400-watt panel is roughly the size of a door. Check your railing, patio or yard and which way it faces. The Solarly Advisor will estimate what a panel would make at your address.
• Plan your notices. In Virginia, the utility form comes before you install, and larger landlords get 7 days’ notice. In Colorado, your landlord can ask for notice first. Put a reminder in your calendar for the first week of January.

New York is still waiting

New York’s SUNNY Act passed the legislature in May and would allow up to 1,200 watts with no utility approval, but Governor Hochul hasn’t acted on it. Advocates and city officials rallied in New York City and Kingston in late October to push for a signature, and the governor’s office has said the bill still hadn’t been formally delivered to her. If it’s signed, we’ll update the tracker the same day.

Next up: New Jersey on March 1

New Jersey’s Garden State Balcony Solar Act takes effect March 1, 2027, with some of the strongest renter protections anywhere: landlords can’t prohibit plug-in solar for tenants who pay their own electric bill (you give 14 days’ written notice), and HOAs and towns can’t ban it. If you’re in New Jersey, the same checklist above applies, just two months later.

Sources. State bill texts as summarized on the Solarly state law tracker; pv magazine USA; KQED; News12 Hudson Valley. Checked October 25, 2026.
By Ben van der Veen. Solarly is independent and reader-supported. This is our reading of the laws as a guide for households, not legal advice.