01
What it is
A small set of solar panels you plug in to lower part of your electric bill. It's not rooftop solar, not a backup generator, and not a license to use any outlet.
Start hereYour guide to U.S. plug-in solar
Plug-in solar, explained clearly — before you buy.
Balcony and plug-in solar can lower your electric bill even if you rent or can’t put panels on a roof. We’ll show you exactly how it works, what it saves, whether it’s allowed where you live, and how to buy a safe kit — in plain English, backed by sources.
How plug-in solar works
- Solar panelTurns sunlight into electricity
- InverterConverts it for your home
- PlugSends power into your home
- Your homeUses it first, buys less
Where do you want to start?
Jump straight to what you need.
Learn how it worksFollow the electricity from the panel, through the inverter, to the outlet and your home — in plain English.Check your state's rulesSee whether your state has a signed law, a bill in progress, or no specific rules yet.Run the numbersEstimate your production, savings, and payback with assumptions you can adjust yourself.Vet a productLearn to spot certified complete systems, honest claims, and the red flags to walk away from.
Start-to-finish guide
From “what is this?” to a confident decision.
Five short steps: what plug-in solar is, how it works, what it can save, whether it’s allowed where you live, and how to buy a safe kit.
02
How it works
The panels make electricity, a small box called an inverter converts it into the kind your outlets use, and your home draws less from the grid while the sun is out.
See how it works
03
What it can save
A typical kit saves roughly $100 to $250 a year. The exact number depends on your electricity price, your sun, and how much power you use during the day.
Estimate your savings
04
Where it's allowed
A few states have passed laws, many more have bills in progress, and some have no specific rules yet. The status is changing fast, so check yours first.
Check your state
05
What to check before buying
Only shortlist a kit after four things line up: your state's rules, a certified complete system, a safe sunny spot to mount it, and numbers that work for your bill.
Read the buyer's guideState tracker
Is plug-in solar allowed where you live?
The rules change from state to state and month to month. Remember that a proposed bill isn’t a law yet, and even a signed law may not take effect until a future date. Find your state to see exactly where it stands.
5 with signed laws30 states with bills or laws
Savings calculator
See what a kit could save you.
This calculator shows its work — no hidden assumptions. It starts with the recent U.S. average electricity price and lets you change every number, because your sun, your shade, your usage, and the kit’s cost all move the result. Treat it as a friendly estimate, not a promise.
- Electricity price: 18.83 cents per kWh
- Typical kit cost: $400 to $2,000
- How we estimate output: Simple planning model
- Electricity you actually use: 85% by default
Estimated monthly savings$12
Electricity made per year794 kWh
Time to pay off8.0 years
A planning estimate, not a promise. It doesn’t check whether plug-in solar is legal where you live, whether a kit is certified, whether your outlet or mount is suitable, or whether your utility pays for surplus power.
Guides
Clear answers to the big questions.
6 min read
What is plug-in solar?
A plain-English guide to balcony and plug-in solar: what it is, what's in a kit, who it helps, and what it doesn't replace.
6 min read
How does plug-in solar work?
Follow the electricity from panel to plug to your home — and understand why the outlet connection is the part that needs care.
7 min read
Is plug-in solar safe?
What can go wrong, what the new U.S. safety standard is meant to prevent, and the checks that separate a safe kit from a risky one.
6 min read
How much can plug-in solar save?
What drives the savings, why estimates should be ranges, and honest example numbers for a typical kit.
How we keep this current
We watch the things that actually change your answer.
Plug-in solar is moving fast, so we track the developments that matter to you — and separate them from marketing noise. Here’s what we’re watching.