It was a busy day yesterday for California Gov. Gavin Newsom, as he signed into law a handful of bills that are positive for the solar industry. He also signed legislation that approves “balcony solar” systems in the state.
SB 868, known as the Plug and Play Solar Act, eliminates the red tape that has kept these systems from use in apartments, condos and single-family homes. The new law also ensures the systems comply with strict safety standards.
“This new law will deliver cleaner power, greater energy independence and real savings for consumers,” said Bernadette Del Chiaro, Environmental Working Group’s senior vice president for California.
California is the tenth state to legalize balcony solar, which allows homeowners and renters to buy qualified “plug-in” solar panels from retailers without needing an interconnection agreement from their utility. The cost and time involved with getting that agreement has been a barrier to greater deployment of these systems.
Using language sought by the utilities, the California Assembly added a provision ending the interconnection exemption on January 1, 2030. The law gives the market four years to take off while giving the Legislature an opportunity to remove the sunset provision.
“These small, easy-to-use solar panels will give everyone, including renters, the relief they desperately need on our outrageous energy bills,” said Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), author of the bill. “Electricity costs have reached ridiculous levels here in California, and now that the Plug and Play Solar Act is law, Californians have a much-needed tool to provide relief. It’s time to put money back in the pockets of Californians.”
SB 868 also ensures these plug-and-play systems meet strict safety standards. All systems must be certified by the global independent safety science company UL or an equivalent national testing lab. To protect utility workers, systems must automatically shut off within seconds if the grid goes down. System size is capped at 1,200 W.
“Plug-in solar is clean energy you can plug right into your own wall — making it quick and easy for anyone to lower their energy bills,” said Stephan Scherer, CEO and co-founder of CraftStrom, a balcony solar company. “California already drives a large share of CraftStrom’s business, and as we prepare to roll out our next generation of products nationwide this month, this law marks a massive victory for energy independence.”
Bill details provided by Environmental Working Group
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