Plug-in solar by state › California
Signed, takes effect January 1, 2027Law checked Oct 13, 2026 against SB 868, Chapter 985 · Last change: 2030 sale rule states all three conditions; notification wording · Change log
Governor Newsom signed SB 868 on September 30, 2026, the last day he could act. From January 1, 2027, a certified plug-in system up to 1,200 W per home skips the utility’s interconnection process entirely. The catch for buyers is the certification: the law asks for a complete plug-in system certified by UL or another testing lab, and those products are only expected in 2027.
What you can build today
No plug-in path yet. From January 1, 2027 the law requires a certified complete plug-in system, and none is certified (October 2026).
Always an option: a permitted, hardwired system under NEC 690 and 705 with your utility’s approval, or an off-grid power station that never connects to house wiring. UL Solutions notes the 2026 NEC “does not recognize the use of plug-in photovoltaic (PIPV) modules”; NFPA expects them in the 2029 edition (source). Where a law requires the NEC and gives no size waiver, the inspector decides. Sun Safe’s reading, not legal advice.
- Limit
- 1,200 W AC per dwelling
- Law
- SB 868
- Signed
- September 30, 2026
- Effective
- January 1, 2027
What the law says
| Size limit | 1,200 W maximum aggregated AC output |
|---|---|
| How it’s measured | Per dwelling (§ 8530(c)(1)). Our reading: each apartment is a dwelling with its own 1,200 W. |
| Connection | Connects to and disconnects from the building’s wiring through a receptacle. Must be intended to offset the home’s own use. |
| Listing | Certified as a plug-in photovoltaic system by UL or an equivalent nationally recognized testing lab. Must meet the current NEC and the California Electrical Code (Title 24, Part 3). |
| Outage protection | A certified feature that isolates the device from the building’s wiring so it can’t backfeed the grid during an outage. |
| Utility notice | The utility may require a simple online notification of the address, make, model and size. It can’t require approval (§ 8531(c)). |
| Utility approval and fees | Exempt from all interconnection requirements: state law, the Public Utilities Commission, investor-owned and publicly owned utility rules alike. No approval, no fee related to the device or the power it feeds in, no extra equipment. |
| Sunset | The interconnection exemption ends January 1, 2030 unless the Legislature renews it. |
| From 2030 | A plug-in device can’t be sold unless it meets all three conditions: the electrical code, plug-in PV system certification and certified outage protection (§ 8532). |
| If a condition is missed | The device doesn’t get the exemptions (§ 8531(d)). |
| Not in the law | Electricians, permits, net metering, landlords and HOAs aren’t mentioned. |
In the law’s words
Short excerpts from SB 868, Chapter 985, Statutes of 2026 (Pub. Util. Code §§ 8530–8532), quoted as written and checked word for word against the official text on October 13, 2026; each with what it means for a plug-in design.
11 excerpts with what each means
- Size
“(1) Has a maximum aggregated AC output of no more than 1,200 watts per dwelling.”
§ 8530(c)(1)1,200 W AC per dwelling. - Connection
“(2) Is designed to be connected to and disconnected from a building's electrical system through a receptacle.”
§ 8530(c)(2)Through a receptacle. - Electrical code
“(4) Meets the standards of the most recent version of the National Electrical Code and the California Electrical Code…”
§ 8530(c)(4)Must meet the NEC and California Electrical Code. - Certification
“(5) Is certified as a plug-in photovoltaic system by Underwriters Laboratories, or an equivalent nationally recognized testing laboratory.”
§ 8530(c)(5)A complete plug-in system certification: none exists yet (Oct 2026). - Outage protection
“(6) Includes a feature, certified by Underwriters Laboratories or an equivalent nationally recognized testing laboratory, that isolates the portable solar generation device from the building's electrical system…”
§ 8530(c)(6)A certified isolation feature. - Interconnection
“A portable solar generation device is exempt from all interconnection requirements imposed by state law, the commission, electrical corporation rules, or local publicly owned electric utility rules…”
§ 8531(a)Exempt from all interconnection rules. - Utility approval and fees
“(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.”
§ 8531(b)(2)No fee for the device or the power it feeds in. - Notice
“…may require a customer … to notify … using a simple online registration form, of the address, make, model, and size… The notification shall not require approval…”
§ 8531(c)An online notice the utility may ask for; no approval. - All conditions
“Any device that does not meet all of the conditions listed in subdivision (c) of Section 8530 does not qualify as a portable solar generation device under this chapter…”
§ 8531(d)Miss any condition and the exemptions don’t apply. - Sunset
“This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2030, and as of that date is repealed.”
§ 8531(e)The exemption ends January 1, 2030 unless renewed. - Sale rule
“Beginning January 1, 2030, a portable photovoltaic energy generation device … that … does not meet the conditions listed in paragraphs (4) to (6), inclusive, of subdivision (c) of Section 8530, shall not be sold or offered for sale in the state.”
§ 8532From 2030, devices must meet the code, certification and outage conditions to be sold.
What it means for your design
- Check the certificate, not the box. The law asks for certification as a complete plug-in PV system. A microinverter listed on its own (UL 1741, or a UL 3700 certificate for the inverter alone) may not qualify. Ask the seller for the system certificate and look it up in the lab’s directory.
- The limit is AC output per dwelling. One APsystems EZ1-LV (900 VA) leaves room for 300 W more; two would be over.
- Notification, if your utility asks for it, is only the address, make, model and size. Keep the product’s datasheet handy.
- Nothing in the law pays you for exported power. Size the system to what your home uses while the sun is up.
- The law is silent on electricians and permits, which isn’t the same as saying none is needed. The California Electrical Code still applies: outdoor receptacles need GFCI protection and a weatherproof cover, and a practicing electrician should install or check the circuit.
- Planning for the long run: if the Legislature doesn’t renew the exemption by 2030, the normal interconnection rules (Rule 21) would apply again. Equipment that meets all three conditions stays sellable either way.
Designs that fit, and one that doesn’t
The engineering behind it
Why the circuit matters as much as the law, in four short points.
Circuit current, continuous output, outdoor outlets, AC vs panel watts
Why the circuit matters. A plug-in inverter pushes current into a branch circuit from the outlet end. The breaker in your panel only sees the current coming from the panel, not what the inverter adds. With other loads on the same circuit, part of the wire can carry the breaker’s full rating plus the inverter’s output without anything tripping. At 1,200 W the inverter adds 10 A at 120 V. That’s why we recommend a dedicated circuit for any plug-in system, even where the law doesn’t require one.
Continuous output. Code treats inverter output as continuous and sizes the circuit at 125% of it (NEC 705.28): 1,200 W is 10 A, times 1.25 is 12.5 A, which fits a 15 A circuit. Anything over 1,440 W needs a 20 A circuit.
Outdoors. Outdoor receptacles need GFCI protection (NEC 210.8) and an in-use weatherproof cover (NEC 406.9).
AC, not panel watts. These laws limit what the inverter puts out, not what the panels are rated for. You can put more panel on a small inverter; it trims the brightest hours and fills out the rest of the day. The Designer models that trimming hour by hour.
Questions
Is plug-in solar legal in California?
Yes, from January 1, 2027. Governor Newsom signed SB 868 on September 30, 2026.
How big can plug-in solar be in California?
Up to 1,200 W of AC output per dwelling.
Do I need to tell my utility about plug-in solar in California?
Your utility may ask for a simple online notification with the address, make, model and size. It can’t require approval or charge a fee.
What certification does California require for plug-in solar?
Certification as a plug-in photovoltaic system by UL or an equivalent nationally recognized testing laboratory, plus compliance with the NEC and the California Electrical Code.
Does California’s plug-in solar law expire?
The interconnection exemption ends January 1, 2030 unless the Legislature extends it. From that date, a device can’t be sold unless it meets the electrical code, holds plug-in PV system certification and has certified outage protection.