New Jersey Congressman Rob Menendez last week introduced the Socket Full of Sunshine Act, designed to reduce obstacles to plug-in solar in all 50 states and provide home rebates.
To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This follows the recent passage in California of a bill that opens the state’s plug-in solar market on Jan. 1. California is the largest among 10 states that have passed laws easing the way for the technology.
Popular in parts of Europe, plug-in solar systems are a DIY technology. Because of their simplicity, households can buy and install them without a contractor. Smaller and lighter than conventional rooftop solar panels, they plug directly into a standard household electrical outlet.
One caveat: they produce less electricity than a rooftop array, so they offset a smaller portion of a household’s energy bill.
The bill (H.R. 10851), which has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, would:
- Require states to consider eliminating utility interconnection agreements, prior approvals, insurance requirements, fees and additional equipment requirements for plug-in solar.
- Authorize $100 million annually from 2027 through 2032 for rebates of up to $1,000 per device.
- Direct rebate assistance toward low- and moderate-income consumers, with priority for renters, multifamily residents and communities with high energy burdens.
- Require states receiving grant funding to prohibit blanket landlord bans on plug-in solar for tenants who pay their own electricity bills, while allowing reasonable placement and size restrictions.
- Direct the Consumer Product Safety Commission to develop safety standards for plug-in solar devices.
- Require rebate-eligible systems to be manufactured domestically and meet domestic-content requirements.
- Direct the Federal Trade Commission to develop voluntary labels showing expected electricity-bill savings.
States would have one year after the bill becomes law to begin considering the changes and two years to decide, with exceptions for states that have already adopted comparable standards.
It covers systems producing up to 1,200 watts that connect through standard 120-volt outlets.
