Is balcony (plug-in) solar legal in California?
Not yet. SB 868 (Chapter 985, Statutes of 2026), Electricity: portable solar generation devices (Public Utilities Code §§ 8530–8532) has been signed and takes effect on Jan 1, 2027. Until then, your utility's normal rules for connecting solar apply.
California law
Signed, not in force yetState law: signed, and takes effect on Jan 1, 2027. Until then, your utility's normal rules apply.
- In force from
- Jan 1, 2027
- Size cap
- 1,200 W (maximum aggregated AC output per dwelling)
- Law
- SB 868 (Chapter 985, Statutes of 2026), Electricity: portable solar generation devices (Public Utilities Code §§ 8530–8532)
- Progress
- Approved by the Governor and chaptered on Sep 30, 2026 (Chapter 985, Statutes of 2026). Non-urgency bill, so it takes effect Jan 1, 2027.
- Certification
- Certified as a plug-in photovoltaic system by UL or an equivalent NRTL, plus an NRTL-certified feature that isolates the device to prevent backfeeding during an outage; must meet the current NEC and California Electrical Code
- Landlord
- Statute is silent. Renting? Landlord and HOA rules by state →
- HOA
- Statute is silent.
- Tell your utility?
- No utility approval, fee, charge or extra equipment. The utility may require a simple online registration form (address, make, model, size). Registration can't require approval. These rules (§ 8531) are repealed on Jan 1, 2030.
- Export credit
- Statute is silent on export credit. Utilities can't charge a fee for electricity the device feeds into the building's wiring.
Starting Jan 1, 2027
California's law takes effect on Jan 1, 2027. What it says about telling your utility, word for word:
“An electrical corporation or a local publicly owned electric utility may require a customer using a portable solar generation device to notify the electrical corporation or local publicly owned electric utility, using a simple online registration form, of the address, make, model, and size of the portable solar generation device. The notification shall not require approval of the customer’s use of the portable solar generation device by the electrical corporation or local publicly owned electric utility.” (§ 8531(c))
“An electrical corporation or a local publicly owned electric utility shall not require a customer using a portable solar generation device to do any of the following: (1) Obtain the electrical corporation’s or local publicly owned electric utility’s approval before installing or using the portable solar generation device. (2) Pay any fee or charge related to the portable solar generation device or the electricity the portable solar generation device feeds into a building’s electrical system. (3) Install any additional controls or equipment beyond what is integrated into the portable solar generation device.” (Public Utilities Code § 8531(b))
Source: SB 868 (Chapter 985, Statutes of 2026), chaptered text, leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, read .
Which utilities it covers
§ 8530(a) and (b) apply the chapter to both kinds of utility: an “electrical corporation”, as defined in § 218, and a “local publicly owned electric utility”, as defined in § 224.3. § 224.3: a local publicly owned electric utility is a municipality or municipal corporation furnishing electric service, a municipal utility district, a public utility district, an irrigation district furnishing electric services, or a joint powers authority that includes one or more of these.
Sources: SB 868 (Chapter 985, Statutes of 2026), chaptered text, leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, read ; California Public Utilities Code § 224.3, leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, read .
What each utility has published
The law lets a utility ask for registration; it doesn't make it publish a form by a set date. What we found on each utility's own site:
| Utility | Type | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) | Investor-owned | We found no registration form on PG&E's Interconnections page on Nov 12, 2026. pge.com (read ) PG&E's newsroom says it plans a simple online notification form from Jan 1, 2027, and that until then it takes plug-in solar notices and questions by email at plugin_solar@pge.com. Plug-In Solar Is Coming to California. Here's What PG&E Customers Should Know | PG&E (Oct 14, 2026) (read ) |
| Southern California Edison (SCE) | Investor-owned | We found no registration form on SCE's Solar Generation & Storage page on Nov 12, 2026. sce.com (read ) |
| San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) | Investor-owned | We found no registration form on SDG&E's Solar page on Nov 12, 2026. sdge.com (read ) |
| Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) | Publicly owned | We found no registration form on LADWP's Solar Programs page on Nov 12, 2026. ladwp.com (read ) |
| Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) | Publicly owned | We found no registration form on SMUD's Solar for your home page on Nov 12, 2026. smud.org (read ) |
Renting or in an HOA?
SB 868 (§§ 8530–8532) says nothing about landlords, tenants, homeowners associations or covenants: the statute is silent on them. Other California laws may still matter; we haven't checked them for plug-in kits. Ask your landlord or HOA before you buy. Source: SB 868 (Chapter 985, Statutes of 2026), chaptered text, leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, read .
What each state's law says about landlords and HOAs · Write a letter to your landlord
General information, not legal advice.
Every plug-in solar law starting on Jan 1, 2027, state by state →
More about plug-in solar in California
How big a plug-in solar kit is allowed in California?
State law: up to 1,200 W (maximum aggregated AC output per dwelling).
What certification does a kit need in California?
State law: Certified as a plug-in photovoltaic system by UL or an equivalent NRTL, plus an NRTL-certified feature that isolates the device to prevent backfeeding during an outage; must meet the current NEC and California Electrical Code. How to check a kit →
Do I need to tell my utility in California?
State law: No utility approval, fee, charge or extra equipment. The utility may require a simple online registration form (address, make, model, size). Registration can't require approval. These rules (§ 8531) are repealed on Jan 1, 2030.
Can a landlord or HOA stop plug-in solar in California?
State law. Landlords: Statute is silent. HOAs: Statute is silent.
Do I get paid for power a plug-in kit sends to the grid in California?
State law: Statute is silent on export credit. Utilities can't charge a fee for electricity the device feeds into the building's wiring.
How much would a plug-in solar kit save in California?
It depends on which way the panels face, their tilt, how much of the power your home uses as it is made, and your utility's rate. The average residential electricity price in California was 33.1¢/kWh (our 12-month average of EIA data, Aug 2025–Jul 2026). The calculator on canipluginsolar.com models it hour by hour for your address.
Before you buy a kit in California
Neighboring states
Also in the Pacific region: Alaska (no law yet), Hawaii (no law yet).
Planning a kit in California? Get your step-by-step checklist, from the law's own wording.
Renting in California? Write a letter to your landlord, matched to California's rules.
A federal bill (H.R. 10851) would also require every state to consider plug-in rules; California already has its own law. H.R. 10851 on congress.gov.