Plug-in solar by state › New Jersey
Signed, takes effect March 1, 2027Law checked Oct 13, 2026 against S 2368, third reprint (as passed; signed September 1, 2026) · Last change: rows rewritten to the bill text: interconnection exception, tenant scope and 14-day notice, permit wording, liability · Change log
New Jersey’s law takes effect six months after signing, on March 1, 2027. It requires UL 3700 (or a comparable standard), gives renters and HOA members strong protection, and bars towns from requiring a permit to place or use one.
What you can build today
Today: not in effect. The utility’s interconnection rules apply until March 1, 2027.
From March 1, 2027, up to 400 W: yes. A UL 3700-listed device on a standard outlet; the law waives listing, NEC and code rules that would require rewiring (§ 2(e)).
Over 400 W: no plug-in path yet. The listing’s conditions apply in full, and its parts aren’t on sale.
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 combined per address (per unit in apartments)
- Law
- S 2368 / A 4836
- Signed
- September 1, 2026
- Effective
- March 1, 2027
What the law says
| Size limit | 1,200 W combined per service address, unless an interconnection agreement is obtained first (§ 2(f)) |
|---|---|
| How it’s measured | Combined for all devices at one service address, or per dwelling unit in multi-family housing. |
| Connection | A standard 120 V AC outlet, on the customer’s side of the meter. Moveable, and meant mainly to offset the home’s own use. |
| Listing | Listed or certified to UL 3700, a comparable standard, or a combination of standards covering plug-in safety and grid-parallel operation, by an NRTL. Installed to the product listing, the NEC and the State Uniform Construction Code; the 2029 NEC’s plug-in rules apply once adopted (§ 2(a), 2(e)). |
| Outage protection | Required: must not export during an outage. |
| Small-device break | Devices of 400 W or less to the outlet still need the listing, but are exempt from listing, NEC or code provisions that would require alterations to the building’s premises, wiring or electrical panels (§ 2(e)). |
| Utility approval and fees | No prior approval, no fee related to the device, no extra controls or equipment. Exempt from interconnection agreements and net metering program requirements (§ 2(b)-(c)). |
| Utility liability | Not liable for damage or injury from a device, or for overvoltage or power-quality issues it causes (§ 2(d)). |
| Renters | Covers tenants who pay for their own electricity. A landlord can’t prohibit a device within your leased premises, including a leased balcony or patio, but can set reasonable rules on size and placement and restrict it elsewhere on the property. Give written notice with documentation and the location 14 days ahead. You’re responsible for damage, and may be asked to indemnify for negligent installation or use (§ 3). |
| HOAs | Can’t enforce a ban on the exterior of your unit; can set reasonable rules on size, placement and manner of placement (§ 3(e)). |
| Towns | Can’t prohibit use on a residential property or require a permit, application, fee or license to place or use one. Building changes and electrical work still follow the NEC, the State Uniform Construction Code and local permit rules (§ 4). |
In the law’s words
Short excerpts from S 2368, third reprint (signed September 1, 2026), 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.
13 excerpts with what each means
- Definition and size
“…a moveable photovoltaic generation device and associated equipment that: (1) has a maximum power output of not more than 1,200 watts; (2) is designed to be connected to a building’s electrical system through a standard 120-volt alternating current outlet…”
§ 2(a)Standard 120 V outlet, up to 1,200 W per device. - Combined limit
“The combined maximum power output of all portable solar generation devices operated by an electricity customer at a single service address … shall not exceed 1,200 watts, unless an interconnection agreement is obtained or executed…”
§ 2(f)All devices at the address add up to 1,200 W; more needs an interconnection agreement. - Certification
“…is listed or certified in accordance with Underwriters Laboratories Standard No. 3700 … or a comparable standard, or a combination of standards that together address plug-in photovoltaic safety and grid-parallel by a nationally recognized testing laboratory…”
§ 2(a)(4)UL 3700 or a comparable standard; no complete system is certified yet (Oct 2026). - Outage protection
“…includes a device or feature that prevents the portable solar generation device from exporting power to the electrical distribution system during a power outage.”
§ 2(a)(5)Microinverters listed to UL 1741 already shut off in an outage. - Electrical code
“A portable solar generation device shall comply with the applicable installation provisions of the product listing, and the applicable installation provisions of the most recent versions of the National Electrical Code and the State Uniform Construction Code…”
§ 2(e)Over 400 W, the listing’s own conditions apply in full: locking outlet and two-way GFCI, not on sale yet. - 400 W exemption
“…a portable solar generation device that has a maximum power output to the receptacle outlet of 400 watts or less shall be exempt from any provision in the product listing, National Electrical Code, or State Uniform Construction Code that would require alterations to the building’s premises, wiring, or electrical panels.”
§ 2(e)The one clean path: at 400 W or less, rules that would force rewiring don’t apply, so a standard outlet works. - 2029 NEC
“…all portable solar generation devices shall comply with any applicable portable solar generation device provisions of the 2029 National Electrical Code, when those provisions are incorporated into the State Uniform Construction Code…”
§ 2(e)The law expects plug-in rules in a future NEC; today’s editions have none. - Utility approval and fees
“An electric public utility shall not require a customer … to: (1) obtain the electric public utility’s prior approval … (2) pay any fee or charge related to the device; or (3) install any additional controls or equipment…”
§ 2(c)No approval, no device fee, no extra equipment. - Net metering
“…shall be exempt from: (1) any requirement to obtain or execute an interconnection agreement … and (2) net metering program requirements…”
§ 2(b)No interconnection agreement; not part of net metering. - Renters
“No landlord shall prohibit a tenant who is responsible for payment of the electric service used within the tenant’s leased premises from utilizing a portable solar generation device or placing a portable solar generation device within the tenant’s leased premises, including any leased balcony or patio.”
§ 3(b)Only tenants who pay their own electricity; inside the leased space, balcony or patio. - Notice
“…which identifies the proposed location of the portable solar generation device, at least 14 days prior to placement or use.”
§ 3(c)Written notice with documentation and location, 14 days ahead. - Towns
“No municipality shall require a permit, application, fee, license, or other approval for the placement or use of a portable solar generation device.”
§ 4(c)No town permit to place or use it; electrical work still needs normal permits. - Effective date
“This act shall take effect six months after the date of enactment…”
§ 5March 1, 2027.
What it means for your design
- Add up every device at your address (or your apartment). The 1,200 W is a combined total.
- Check for UL 3700 or a comparable listing before buying. Even a device under 400 W needs it.
- The 400 W break is about wiring, not listing: a small device can’t be held to rules that would force panel or wiring changes.
- No town permit to place or use the device, but any electrical work still needs the usual permits and the NEC applies. Outdoor outlets need GFCI (NEC 210.8), and a practicing electrician should check the circuit.
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
When is plug-in solar legal in New Jersey?
March 1, 2027, six months after Governor Sherrill signed the Garden State Balcony Solar Act on September 1, 2026.
Can my landlord or HOA ban balcony solar in New Jersey?
A landlord can’t prohibit it within your leased premises if you pay for your own electricity; an HOA can’t enforce a ban on your unit’s exterior. Both can set reasonable rules on size and placement.
Do I need a permit for plug-in solar in New Jersey?
Not to place or use the device. Any electrical work or building change still follows the usual code and permit rules.