Balcony solar not available yet?
Here are your options.
Balcony solar is now legal in 6 states (and 3 more are awaiting governor signature) — but if yours isn't one of them, you still have real options today. Here are five ways, ranked by impact.
Your best solar-access options,
ranked for your state.
Pick your state above to see which solar-access options work best where you live.
Not every option works for every state.
Here's how to find yours.
Portable power works in all 50 states today. See community solar options separately.
Community solar →Join your state waitlist and use these options while you wait.
Own your power without
touching the grid.
A portable power station paired with solar panels is 100% legal in all 50 states. No utility approval. No lease issues. No gray areas. Nothing connects to your home's wiring — you plug your appliances directly into the station, which the panels recharge during the day.
It's a different architecture than a grid-tied plug-in system — you manage what's plugged in rather than having the system automatically reduce your meter — but it's unambiguously yours, unambiguously legal, and unambiguously independent from utility pricing.
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The honest gray area.
Here's the truth that most solar companies won't tell you: plug-in solar exists in a genuine legal gray area in most states — not explicitly permitted, but not explicitly prohibited either.
These systems are zero-export by design. Nothing goes back to the grid. Your meter slows down because your home draws less from it — not because your system pushes power into it. Most utilities have no technical mechanism to detect a small certified plug-in system, and most don't try.
Thousands of Americans are running these systems right now in states without explicit legislation. They are using UL-certified equipment. They are not exporting to the grid. And they are reducing their bills.
Do it by the book —
file the paperwork.
Every utility has a process for interconnecting small generators. It was designed for rooftop solar but technically applies to any grid-connected generation.
Filing proactively puts you fully on the right side of the rules. It takes 2–8 weeks depending on your utility and may cost a small administrative fee. But once approved you have written permission from your utility — no ambiguity, no risk.
One email can solve
half the problem.
In states without legal protection, getting written permission from your landlord removes the building risk — even if the utility question remains.
Most landlords will say yes when you explain:
- The system is UL certified
- Nothing hardwires to building wiring
- It plugs into a standard outlet like any appliance
- You're taking it with you when you leave
- It adds no risk to the building or other tenants
A one-page PDF you can download, fill in, and send to your landlord. Plain English, covers the five points above, and asks for written acknowledgement.
Download template →in 30 seconds.
Sol Country generates a personalized letter explaining your state's balcony solar law, your rights as a tenant, and the installation details — ready to send to your landlord.
Make your state
the next Utah.
Utah passed its law unanimously. Virginia passed 96–0. Colorado passed 48–16 after a campaign that included regular people showing up to committee hearings, emailing their representatives, and making the case that this was about energy freedom, not energy policy.
Your state's bill may be one committee hearing away from passing. Or it may need someone to introduce it in the first place.
Sol Country notifies you the moment your state passes a balcony solar law — with your personalized recommendation already saved.
Join my state waitlist →Sol Country generates a pre-written email to your congressional rep supporting federal plug-in solar legislation.
Be the first to know when your state passes a law — with your personalized recommendation already saved.
Find the right option
for your address.
Find My Power analyzes your address and tells you exactly which of these five options is available to you right now.