Balcony Solar Atlas

Your balcony.Your solar power.

Understand plug-in solar, check your state's rules, and see what a small kit could save.

AI concept illustration of a sunlit apartment balcony with solar panels, green plants and warm natural stone.

51 state & DC pages

Primary sources first

Independent. No paid placements.

Our research method

Know your state.
Then make your move.

Rules for plug-in solar differ by state. Check the wattage limit, utility notice and renter rights before you connect.

10states with signed laws
6 in effect / 4 signed for later

Compare all 50 states
Plug-in solar law status by state 6 law in effect, 4 signed, not yet in effect, 1 passed, awaiting governor. Every state and DC links to its sourced rules. Alaska and Hawaii are shown as insets. Alabama: No state law yet AL Alaska: No state law yet AK Arizona: No state law yet AZ Arkansas: No state law yet AR California: Signed, not yet in effect CA Colorado: Law in effect CO Connecticut: Law in effect CT Delaware: No state law yet DE District of Columbia: No state law yet DC Florida: No state law yet FL Georgia: No state law yet GA Hawaii: No state law yet HI Idaho: No state law yet ID Illinois: No state law yet IL Indiana: No state law yet IN Iowa: No state law yet IA Kansas: No state law yet KS Kentucky: No state law yet KY Louisiana: No state law yet LA Maine: Law in effect ME Maryland: Law in effect MD Massachusetts: No state law yet MA Michigan: No state law yet MI Minnesota: No state law yet MN Mississippi: No state law yet MS Missouri: No state law yet MO Montana: No state law yet MT Nebraska: No state law yet NE Nevada: No state law yet NV New Hampshire: Signed, not yet in effect NH New Jersey: Signed, not yet in effect NJ New Mexico: No state law yet NM New York: Passed, awaiting governor NY North Carolina: No state law yet NC North Dakota: No state law yet ND Ohio: No state law yet OH Oklahoma: No state law yet OK Oregon: No state law yet OR Pennsylvania: No state law yet PA Rhode Island: No state law yet RI South Carolina: No state law yet SC South Dakota: No state law yet SD Tennessee: No state law yet TN Texas: No state law yet TX Utah: Law in effect UT Vermont: Law in effect VT Virginia: Signed, not yet in effect VA Washington: No state law yet WA West Virginia: No state law yet WV Wisconsin: No state law yet WI Wyoming: No state law yet WY
  • Law in effect
  • Signed, takes effect later
  • Passed, awaiting governor
  • No state law yet
Swipe the map, or use the state selector above. Geography: Census boundaries via us-atlas. Select a state for its rules and sources.

Full law review: Oct 29, 2026. Colorado updated Oct 30, 2026. In the other 40 states and DC, no plug-in law has been enacted. Updates and corrections.

A good place to start.

Four answers before you buy a kit.

AI concept of a sunlit apartment kitchen with balcony solar in the background.
AI-generated concept illustration. Installation details depend on the listed system.

How much would it save me?

Compare production, savings and payback for your home.

Is it safe on my circuit?

Understand the hazards and the protection a listed kit needs.

Can my landlord say no?

Check lease, landlord and HOA rules before you install.

Is my balcony sunny enough?

See how direction, tilt and shade change the output.

Clear answers.
Grounded in sources.

  • Primary sources first

    Statutes, bill records and regulators, with the source one click away.

  • Uncertainty stays visible

    When sources disagree or a detail is unconfirmed, the page says so.

  • The math is open

    Published data, inputs and assumptions, so you can check the estimate.

How we check facts

Latest law changes

Dated updates, with links to each state's sources.

  1. Socket Full of Sunshine Act introduced in CongressFederal
  2. Connecticut law takes effect (Public Act 26-127)In effect
  3. California SB 868 signed, effective January 2027Signed
  4. New Jersey Garden State Balcony Solar Act signed, effective March 2027Signed
  5. Colorado act takes effect; additional provisions start January 2027In effect
Earlier changes
  1. Massachusetts energy bill with plug-in provisions goes to conferencePending
  2. New Hampshire SB 540 signedSigned
  3. Vermont Act 149 takes effect, with tenant notice rulesIn effect
  4. Rhode Island House passes H 7269 70–0One chamber
  5. Maryland HB 1532 and Colorado HB26-1007 signedSigned

Understand the equipment and the math.

Next steps before buying a kit. Browse all 7 guides.

AI concept illustration of solar panels on a balcony adjoining a sunlit apartment.

What plug-in solar is

A plug-in solar kit is one to four panels and a microinverter that plug into a regular 120 V outlet. Here is how they work, what they can power, and where they are legal.

Read the guide
AI concept of inspecting a blank equipment plate with a magnifier; no certification is implied.

UL 3700 explained

UL 3700 is the first US test program for plug-in solar. What it covers, which states require it, which products have it, and how it differs from UL 1741.

Read the guide
AI concept of an electricity meter, calculator and bill on a sunlit ledge.

Is it worth it?

Compare modeled production, self-use and simple payback for the same 800 W balcony kit across states, with explicit weather, load and price assumptions.

Read the guide
AI concept illustration of the panels, microinverter and brackets in a solar kit.

Choosing a kit

Pick the size from your always-on load, the certification from your state law, and the mount from your railing. A checklist for buying a balcony solar kit in the US.

Read the guide