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Jul 1, 2026 (partial) · Jan 1, 2027 (renter protections) · HB395

Signed March 2026. HB395 takes effect in two stages: certain provisions took effect July 1, 2026, and the consumer-facing provisions - including the renter protections and the prohibition on landlords saying no - take effect January 1, 2027.

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Sol Country recommendation for Virginia renters
Craftstrom 395W Starter Kit
Virginia's rate of ~$0.130/kWh is moderate. A 395W starter kit is the right entry point - confirm your space gets good sun before investing in a larger system.
Annual savings~$53/yr
Payback period~7.5 years
State limit1,200W maximum
EffectiveJanuary 1, 2027
Have strong south-facing exposure? An 800W kit saves ~$107/yr at Virginia rates - a solid long-term investment.
New to balcony solar? Read the complete DIY guidebook →
Building types in Virginia

Where will yours go?

Apartment balcony
Most common Virginia setup. Railing-mounted panels work for most balconies.

Hang one or two panels from your balcony railing using UL-listed rail-mount hardware.

Plug-in to a standard 120V outlet within reach of the inverter cable (typically 10-25 ft).

No drilling, no roof access, no permit if you're under your state's no-approval tier.

Rooftop access
Single-family homes and townhouses in Virginia. Highest production potential.
Rear yard / patio
Ground-mount or patio-frame setup for renters with private outdoor space.
Fire escape - NOT RECOMMENDED
Fire escapes must remain clear under municipal code in nearly every Virginia city.
Virginia law

Law specifics

HB395
Signed
April 2026
Effective
January 1, 2027
Limit
1,200W
Landlords cannot prohibit compliant installations
UL 3700 certification required
No utility approval needed
Need to talk to your landlord?Generate a personalized notification letter citing Virginia's law in 30 seconds. Free, no signup required.
Generate landlord letter →
Utility programs

Dominion Energy programs

Dominion Community Solar - Available in Virginia now
Dominion Renewable Energy - 100% renewable subscription
Dominion EV charging programs - Relevant to Sol Driver content
Net metering: Virginia currently has full or near-full retail net metering — a real plus for rooftop solar economics here. Worth knowing, not a prediction: some analysts have flagged Virginia as a state to watch for future net-metering changes, similar to the cost-shift debate that drove California's NEM 3.0. See /learn/net-metering-explained for the full picture.
Cities

Find your Virginia city

ArlingtonRichmond (coming soon)Virginia Beach (coming soon)

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New incentives, rate changes, and program deadlines — one email at a time.

Free tool · Powered by HB395

Need to notify your landlord or HOA? Generate your letter.

Statute-accurate template that cites Virginia’s law by bill number and effective date. Emailed as PDF.

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Two-stage effective date

July 1, 2026: certain provisions of HB395 took effect. January 1, 2027: the consumer-facing provisions - including the renter protections and landlord prohibition - take effect. For renters specifically, the legal protection preventing your landlord from saying no takes effect January 1, 2027. Sol Country recommends waiting until that date for the full protection unless your landlord is supportive. Reported by EcoFlow US (July 4, 2026); we are confirming the exact provision split against the HB395 text at lis.virginia.gov.

The law

Virginia plug-in solar
is legal.

Bill
HB395
Effective
Jul 1, 2026 (partial) · Jan 1, 2027 (renter protections)
Legislative progress - stage 5 of 5
Signed into law
Key provisions
Plug-in solar up to 1.0kW permitted
Statewide preemption - no local-only bans
Utility cannot deny unless legitimate safety concern
Disclaimer
Educational only - not legal advice. Verify with your utility, AHJ, and HOA.
Shop Virginia kits
We ship to your door. Kits with UL-listed components; UL 3700 pending.
VIRGINIA IS THE EPICENTER

Virginia's Dominion Zone — Northern Virginia — contains the world's largest concentration of data centers. PJM's own independent market monitor has identified data center load growth as 'the primary reason' for recent capacity market conditions across the 13-state grid. PJM's 2026 Long-Term Load Forecast projects Virginia's annual energy demand growing 173% by 2046 — more than any other zone in the PJM system — driven almost entirely by data centers. Generating your own power means your savings grow as Virginia's grid costs rise.

See the full analysis →
What's available now

Virginia Home Energy Pilot

Virginia has approved the launch of a pilot program for home energy conservation, solar, and battery storage. Program details and enrollment are being finalized.

Monitor at energy.virginia.gov for launch.

Source: Center for American Progress, April 2026.

Available kits in Virginia

Kits legal under
HB395.

Plug-in solar kits within Virginia's legal limit. UL-listed components; UL 3700 system certification pending across the category.

APSYSTEMS
EZ1-M 800W
800W microinverter
$1,299
UL 3700 PENDING
CRAFTSTROM
Smart Kit 395W
395W single panel
$1,499
UL 3700 PENDING

Sol Country Exclusive

CRAFTSTROM KITS

US-focused plug-in solar with UL-listed components and UL 3700 system certification in progress.


CraftStrom current promotion

20% off all kits — available to all customers on craftstrom.com

Sol Country exclusive — extra

Additional 5% off when you book an advisor call + use code SOLCOUNTRY5

Combined saving: 25% off for Sol Country visitors who book an advisor call.

KitApprox. full priceAfter 20% (everyone)After extra 5% (Sol Country)
800W~$1,900~$1,520~$1,444
1,200W~$2,400~$1,920~$1,824
1,600W~$3,000~$2,400~$2,280
2,000W~$3,600~$2,880~$2,736

The 20% reduction is CraftStrom's current site-wide promotion. The additional 5% requires booking an advisor call and using code SOLCOUNTRY5 at checkout.

Certification status: CraftStrom (UL certified — Sol Country is verifying the specific certification level against UL 3700 system requirements. Check craftstrom.com for current certification documentation.) Some sources describe CraftStrom as ETL listed to UL 1741 and IEEE 1547, which is not the same as UL 3700 system certification. We'll update this note as soon as CraftStrom confirms directly.

1. Book your free advisor call

Visit CraftStrom's site and book a free advisor call. Their team can answer installation-specific questions, help you pick the right wattage for your space, and confirm which tier applies under your state's law. The 20% discount applies automatically on their site.

2. Use code SOLCOUNTRY5 at checkout

After your advisor call, enter SOLCOUNTRY5 at checkout for an additional 5% off the already-discounted price.

Choose your kit below, then use the advisor booking popup on CraftStrom's site to schedule your call — apply code SOLCOUNTRY5 at checkout for the extra 5%.

Sol Country earns a commission on CraftStrom purchases made with code SOLCOUNTRY5. The 20% site-wide discount is offered by CraftStrom to all customers. The additional 5% is Sol Country's exclusive arrangement. Neither discount affects Sol Country's product recommendations — we recommend CraftStrom because it's a complete, UL-certified plug-in kit sold directly in the US, not because of this arrangement. CraftStrom (UL certified — Sol Country is verifying the specific certification level against UL 3700 system requirements. Check craftstrom.com for current certification documentation.)

Community solar in Virginia

No balcony?
No problem.

Community solar may be available in Virginia - no equipment, no installation, $0 upfront.

Arcadia
Virginia
Save 5-15% on your electricity bill
$0 upfront
Cancel anytime
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Income-qualified options available
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Tax incentives & savings

Virginia incentives
stacked.

Sales tax exemption on solar equipment
SREC market - earn income from solar renewable energy credits
Federal & state context (2026)

Federal residential solar credit (Section 25D) is no longer available for owned residential systems placed in service after Dec 31, 2025. Section 48E remains available for leased / third-party-owned systems through Dec 31, 2027.

Utility interconnection

Utility interconnection.

View Virginia's utility interconnection guidance.

See what's legal
at your address.

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