Plug-in solar by state › Vermont
In effectLaw checked Oct 13, 2026 against Act 149 as enacted · Last change: smart-meter rule, secure mounting, overload costs, renter and public-building details added · Change log
Vermont is Sun Safe’s home state, and its law is one of the most specific. It requires UL 3700 (or an equivalent), the new safety standard written for plug-in systems, only on a smart meter, and it has firm rules for renters, HOAs and anyone who already has net-metered solar.
What you can build today
No plug-in path yet. The law requires UL 3700 for plug-in systems, and no complete system 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 combined inverter capacity per meter
- Law
- S.202
- Signed
- June 16, 2026
- Effective
- July 1, 2026
What the law says
| Size limit | 1,200 W combined inverter capacity |
|---|---|
| How it’s measured | Per electric meter. One or more devices are allowed if their inverter capacity adds up to 1,200 W or less. |
| Connection | Cord-connected to a receptacle in a grid-connected building. |
| Meter | Smart meters only: “Plug-in photovoltaic devices shall only be connected to systems using smart meters” (30 V.S.A. § 256(a)). |
| Mounting | “Temporarily but securely attached to the ground or a structure” (§ 256(a)). |
| Listing | UL 3700 for plug-in photovoltaic systems, or an equivalent certification from another NRTL. Installed and operated to IEEE 1547-2018 and any successor standard, with default settings consistent with the regional grid operator (§ 201). |
| Outage protection | Required. |
| Electrician or permit | Not required by the law itself. A landlord can require a licensed electrician for any wiring work. |
| Utility notice | None required. |
| Utility approval and fees | Exempt from Section 248, interconnection agreements and Public Utility Commission jurisdiction. The utility can’t require approval, an installation fee or extra equipment. It may recover costs from overloading the service caused by a device (§ 256(d)). |
| Power sent to the grid | Not paid for. You can’t add a plug-in device if you already have a net-metered system. |
| Renters | Give the landlord 10 days’ notice; the landlord can set reasonable restrictions. No response in 10 days: you may install. You can’t do or hire electrical work without the landlord’s permission (§ 256(g)). |
| Public buildings | Must meet the most recent Fire and Building Safety Code (§ 256(f)). |
| HOAs, deeds and towns | Deed restrictions, covenants and similar agreements can’t prohibit these devices. Town zoning can’t regulate them. |
In the law’s words
Short excerpts from Act 149 as enacted (30 V.S.A. §§ 201, 256), 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
- Size
“A customer may install one or more plug-in photovoltaic devices per electric meter … if the devices have a maximum combined inverter capacity of not more than 1,200 watts.”
30 V.S.A. § 256(a)Up to 1,200 W of inverter capacity per meter, all devices combined. - Connection
“…is designed to be connected to a building’s electrical system via an electrical cord plugged into a receptacle;”
30 V.S.A. § 201(9)(A)Cord into a receptacle. - Certification
“…complies with UL 3700 for plug-in photovoltaic systems by UL Solutions … is installed and operated in compliance with IEEE 1547-2018 and any successor standard”
30 V.S.A. § 201(9)(C)UL 3700 for plug-in systems: no complete system is certified yet (Oct 2026), so nothing on sale meets it today. - Outage protection
“…includes a feature that prevents the system from energizing the building’s electrical system during a power outage;”
30 V.S.A. § 201(9)(B)Outage shutoff required. - Smart meter
“Plug-in photovoltaic devices shall only be connected to systems using smart meters.”
30 V.S.A. § 256(a)Only on smart-meter service; ask your utility. - Mounting
“A customer shall ensure a device is temporarily but securely attached to the ground or a structure.”
30 V.S.A. § 256(a)Movable, but secured. - Utility approval and fees
“An electric distribution company shall not require a customer using a plug-in photovoltaic device … obtain the company’s approval before installing or using the device … pay any fee or charge related to the installation of the device”
30 V.S.A. § 256(c)No approval or installation fee. - Overload costs
“…from recovering costs associated with the overloading of the service”
30 V.S.A. § 256(d)The utility can recover costs if a device overloads the service. - Net metering
“A customer with a net metering system shall not also install a plug-in photovoltaic device.”
30 V.S.A. § 256(e)No plug-in device on a home that already net meters; exports aren’t paid. - Renters
“A tenant shall provide at least 10 days’ notice to the landlord … If the landlord does not respond within 10 days, the tenant may proceed with installation.”
30 V.S.A. § 256(g)Ten days’ notice; no reply in 10 days means go ahead. - Electrical work
“A tenant shall not perform or hire someone to perform electrical work on the premises … A landlord shall not be compelled to perform or pay for electrical work on the premises”
30 V.S.A. § 256(g)Wiring changes need the landlord’s permission. - Electrical code
Not named. Public buildings only: “…shall be used in a manner that complies with all applicable requirements of the most recent Fire and Building Safety Code…”
30 V.S.A. § 256(f)The law doesn’t name the NEC; the UL 3700 listing’s conditions set the circuit. - Effective date
“This act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.”
Act 149, Sec. 6In effect since July 1, 2026.
What it means for your design
- Add up the inverter capacity of everything on your meter, not panel watts. One EZ1-LV (900 VA) leaves room for a 300 W device; two (1,800 VA) is over.
- Confirm you have a smart meter. The law allows these devices only on smart-meter service; ask your utility if you’re not sure.
- Check the UL 3700 listing before you buy. UL 1741 alone isn’t enough here. Ask the seller for the certificate, or look the product up in the certifying lab’s online directory. The listing covers the system as sold, so mixing brands can matter.
- If your house already has net-metered rooftop or ground-mount solar, the law rules out adding plug-in solar on that account.
- Exports aren’t paid for. Size to your daytime use. In Vermont winters that daytime use is often small, so a modest system that your home always absorbs pays back faster than a big one that exports.
- Renters: send the 10-day notice in writing, with the product’s datasheet and UL 3700 certificate attached. It answers most landlord questions up front.
- Outdoor receptacles need GFCI protection (NEC 210.8) and an in-use weatherproof cover (NEC 406.9). A practicing electrician should install or 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
Is plug-in solar legal in Vermont?
Yes. Act 149 took effect July 1, 2026. Devices certified to UL 3700 (or an equivalent) with up to 1,200 W of combined inverter capacity per meter are exempt from interconnection agreements and utility fees.
Can I add plug-in solar if I already have net-metered solar in Vermont?
No. The act says a customer with a net metering system can’t also install a plug-in photovoltaic device.
Can my landlord stop me from installing plug-in solar in Vermont?
Give 10 days’ notice. The landlord can set reasonable restrictions, and if there’s no response in 10 days you may install. Electrical work needs the landlord’s permission.
Does Vermont require UL 3700?
Yes, UL 3700 or an equivalent certification from another nationally recognized testing laboratory.