Plug-in solar by state › Utah
In effectLaw checked Oct 13, 2026 against HB 340 enrolled · Last change: per-device limit clarified; purpose and liability added · Change log
Utah passed the country’s first plug-in solar law in 2025, without a single no vote. A device up to 1,200 W that plugs into a standard 120 V outlet can skip the utility’s interconnection process entirely. The law is short and leaves a lot unsaid, so the design choices are mostly yours.
What you can build today
Inspector’s call. The device must meet the most recent NEC, and the law has no size waiver.
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 per device
- Law
- HB 340 (Solar Power Amendments)
- Signed
- March 25, 2025
- Effective
- May 7, 2025
- Electrical code
- NEC 2023, Utah Code 15A-2-103, in effect since July 1, 2025
What the law says
| Size limit | 1,200 W “maximum power output” per device |
|---|---|
| How it’s measured | Per device. The law doesn’t say AC or DC and doesn’t set a total for a home with more than one device. |
| Connection | A standard 120 V AC outlet. The device must be “moveable.” |
| Listing | Certified by UL or another nationally recognized testing lab (NRTL). Must meet the current National Electrical Code (NEC). UL 3700 isn’t named. |
| Outage protection | Required: a feature that keeps the device from energizing the house wiring during a power outage. |
| Electrician or permit | Not mentioned in the law. |
| Utility notice | None required. |
| Utility approval and fees | The utility can’t require its approval, any fee related to the system, or extra equipment. |
| Power sent to the grid | Not part of net metering (§ 54-15-601(1)). |
| Purpose | Meant mainly to offset part of the home’s own use (§ 54-15-102(13)(c)). |
| Utility liability | The utility isn’t liable for damage or injury from the device (§ 54-15-601(3)(b)). |
| Renters and HOAs | Not addressed. |
In the law’s words
Short excerpts from HB 340 (2025), enrolled (Utah Code §§ 54-15-102, 54-15-601), 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.
10 excerpts with what each means
- Size
“‘Portable solar generation device’ means a moveable photovoltaic generation device that: (a) has a maximum power output of not more than 1,200 watts;”
§ 54-15-102(13)(a)Up to 1,200 W per device; the law sets no total per home. - Connection
“(b) is designed to be connected to a building's electrical system through a standard 120-volt alternating current outlet;”
§ 54-15-102(13)(b)A standard 120 V outlet. - Purpose
“(c) is intended primarily to offset part of the customer's electricity consumption;”
§ 54-15-102(13)(c)Meant mainly to offset your own use. - Electrical code
“(d) meets the standards of the most recent version of the National Electrical Code; and”
§ 54-15-102(13)(d)Must meet the NEC, with no size waiver: the inspector decides how. - Certification
“(e) is certified by Underwriters Laboratories or an equivalent nationally recognized testing laboratory.”
§ 54-15-102(13)(e)Lab certification (UL or equal). - Outage protection
“A portable solar generation device shall include a device or feature that prevents the system from energizing the building's electrical system during a power outage.”
§ 54-15-601(2)Outage shutoff required. - Utility approval and fees
“…may not require a customer using a portable solar generation device to: (i) obtain the electrical corporation's approval before installing or using the system; (ii) pay any fee or charge related to the system; or (iii) install any additional controls or equipment…”
§ 54-15-601(3)(a)No approval, fee or extra equipment. - Net metering
“(b) is not subject to the net metering program requirements under this chapter.”
§ 54-15-601(1)(b)Not part of net metering. - Utility liability
“(b) is not liable for any damage or injury caused by a portable solar generation device.”
§ 54-15-601(3)(b)The utility isn’t liable. - Effective date
“This bill takes effect on May 7, 2025.”
HB 340, Sec. 3In effect since May 7, 2025.
What it means for your design
- Read the AC output rating on your inverter’s datasheet. Keep it at or under 1,200 W. An APsystems EZ1-LV (900 VA) fits; two of them on one outlet would not be one device, and the law doesn’t say how multiple devices add up, so the careful reading is to keep the whole home at 1,200 W.
- Panel watts can be higher than the inverter’s output. The inverter caps what goes into the outlet, and the extra panel power is trimmed on the brightest hours. The Designer’s output-limit step shows how much that costs you.
- The device has to be moveable. A rail-clamped or ballasted mount you can take down fits the intent better than lag bolts into the structure.
- Not part of net metering, so size the system to what your home uses while the sun is up, such as a fridge, freezer, networking gear and a furnace blower. The payback step’s “used at home” percentage is where that shows up.
- The law is silent on electricians, not permissive about them. Sun Safe’s position stays the same: code-compliant, with a practicing electrician recommended to install or check it, especially for the outdoor receptacle (GFCI required under NEC 210.8).
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 Utah?
Yes. HB 340 took effect May 7, 2025. A certified device up to 1,200 W plugged into a standard 120 V outlet is exempt from the utility’s interconnection requirements and agreements.
Do I need an electrician for plug-in solar in Utah?
The law doesn’t say either way. It requires the device to meet the NEC and be certified by UL or another testing lab. We recommend a practicing electrician install or check it.
Will my Utah utility pay me for the power I send back?
No. Plug-in devices aren’t part of Utah’s net metering program, so only the power your home uses at the time saves money.