Plug-In (Balcony) Solar in the US: Which States Allow It, and How Kits Like EcoFlow STREAM Work

Published October 23, 2026. This is a law-and-specs explainer, not legal advice and not a hands-on test. State rules below come from the statute or bill text on each legislature’s own site, checked October 23, 2026. EcoFlow figures come from EcoFlow’s US store pages, checked the same day. Plug-in solar law is changing fast, so check your state and your utility before you plug anything in.

Plug-in solar (Europe calls it balcony solar) is a small grid-tied system: one to a few panels, a microinverter, and a cord that plugs into a regular wall outlet. The power it makes gets used by whatever is running in your home first, so you pull a little less from the grid during the day. Until 2025, no US state had a legal category for it, so utilities treated it like a rooftop array that needs an interconnection agreement. That’s changing state by state. Here’s where it stands, what the laws actually require, and how a kit like EcoFlow’s STREAM works.

Quick answer

• Enacted and in effect (as of October 23, 2026): Utah, Maryland, and Colorado, based on the legislature sources linked below. Maine’s law was signed April 6, 2026; Maine laws without an emergency clause take effect 90 days after the session adjourns.
• Enacted, takes effect January 1, 2027: Virginia and California.
• Passed but not signed: New York’s bill passed both chambers on May 28, 2026. The Assembly’s bill page showed no action by the governor when we checked.
• Arizona: we did not find an enacted Arizona law that creates a plug-in solar category. Until one exists, assume your utility’s normal interconnection rules apply, and ask APS, SRP, TEP, or your co-op before plugging in.
• The common pattern: a cap of about 1,200 W (Colorado allows 1,920 W), a listed or certified device, automatic shutoff when the grid goes down, and no utility approval or fee. Several states still require you to notify the utility.
• It is not backup power. The Utah, Maine, Colorado, Virginia, and California texts all require the system to stop feeding your home’s wiring (or the grid) during an outage. If you want power when the grid is down, you need a battery with its own outlets.

What plug-in solar is, and what it isn’t

A plug-in system pushes AC power into a household circuit through an outlet. Your loads on that circuit and the rest of the panel use that power before they draw from the grid. It doesn’t charge a battery unless the kit includes one, and it doesn’t run anything in a blackout, because the inverter has to shut off when it senses the grid is down. That rule protects line workers. Maine’s law, for example, requires inverters configured to shut off after 0.2 seconds if power is disrupted.

That makes plug-in solar a bill-trimming tool for renters and people without a usable roof. It isn’t an off-grid system. If outage power is your goal, start with our guide to off-grid vs on-grid home battery systems, and never feed a house through an outlet with a double-male cord. Our transfer switch safety guide explains why.

State-by-state: what the laws say

Each row below is summarized from the statute or bill text on the state legislature’s site. “Notify” means the law lets or requires the utility to collect a notice. It doesn’t mean the utility can say no.

Utah

Utah was first. HB 340 defines a “portable solar generation device” as a movable PV device of up to 1,200 W that connects through a standard 120-volt outlet, meets the current National Electrical Code, and is certified by UL or an equivalent nationally recognized testing laboratory. It must include a feature that keeps it from energizing the building during an outage. The utility can’t require approval, fees, or extra equipment, and the device isn’t part of net metering. The law took effect May 7, 2025.

Maryland

Maryland’s rules are in Public Utilities §7-321, added by HB 1532 (the Utility RELIEF Act), which the governor approved on May 12, 2026 as Chapter 353. The device must be movable, connect through a standard outlet, and be certified by UL or an equivalent lab. You may install one per electric meter, for residential use only. The utility can’t require approval, a fee for feeding power back, or extra equipment beyond what the device includes. You have to notify the utility, give it a certification of the device’s safety features and maximum capacity, and pay for an automatic locking disconnect switch if the system needs one. These systems don’t count toward the state’s renewable portfolio standard and can’t generate renewable energy credits.

One thing to know: the chapter law as published prints §7-321 twice, and the two versions differ. One caps output at 1,200 W, requires notice before installation, and exempts devices of 391 W or less from listing rules that would require rewiring. The other caps output at 391 W and requires notice once the system is installed. We can’t tell from the published text which one controls, so ask your utility or the Maryland Public Service Commission before buying anything over 391 W.

Maine

Maine’s LD 1730 was signed on April 6, 2026 as Chapter 644. The committee amendment that replaced the bill’s text adds 35-A MRSA §3475. It covers both plug-in solar and plug-in batteries. An eligible system exports 1,200 W or less and is listed to UL 3700 or a comparable standard. You can self-install systems totaling up to 420 W per service address with no notice. From 420 W up to 1,200 W, each system has to be installed by a Maine-licensed electrician on a dedicated circuit with a single outlet, and you notify the utility within 30 days. The utility can’t require approval, an interconnection agreement or study, fees, or extra equipment, and these systems can’t be used for net energy billing. Renters have to avoid damaging the structure and restore it when they remove the system.

Colorado

Colorado’s HB26-1007 was signed May 7, 2026, and the legislature lists its session law (chapter 127) as effective August 12, 2026. Colorado has the largest cap so far: a single system per address supplying up to 1,920 W to the grid, labeled and listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory, with anti-islanding protection and only one device per wall outlet. The utility can ask you to report the device’s presence and size but can’t require approval, fees, or extra controls. Devices of 391 W or less are exempt from the state’s solar installation requirements and from code provisions that would require rewiring.

Two more Colorado rules start January 1, 2027. Sellers can’t sell, lease, or rent a device over 391 W that isn’t UL labeled and listed. HOA covenants that unreasonably prohibit these devices become void, though owners and associations can still set reasonable rules about notice, placement, and fire or overload risk.

Virginia

Virginia’s rule is Code §56-596.8, which the Code of Virginia site lists as effective January 1, 2027. It allows up to 1,200 W per customer, or per unit in multifamily housing. The device must meet the National Electrical Code, be certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory, and stop exporting during an outage. You must submit the State Corporation Commission’s form before installing. The utility has 15 days to flag problems, and if it doesn’t respond, you’re deemed to have notified it. The utility can install a locking disconnect if there’s more than one device at a property or if the circuit needs it. The section doesn’t apply to rentals billed through a ratio utility billing system.

California

Governor Newsom approved SB 868 on September 30, 2026 (Chapter 985). It applies to devices with up to 1,200 W of aggregated AC output per dwelling that plug into a receptacle, meet the National Electrical Code and the California Electrical Code, and are certified as a plug-in PV system by UL or an equivalent lab. Utilities can require a simple online registration with your address and the device’s make, model, and size, but can’t charge fees for the device or its power. The interconnection exemption runs until January 1, 2030. It takes effect January 1, 2027, California’s default start date for bills signed in 2026.

New York, Arizona, and other states

New York’s SUNNY Act (A9111C) passed the Assembly and Senate on May 28, 2026, and would allow up to 1,200 W. The Assembly’s bill history ended at “returned to assembly” when we checked, with no signature or veto, so it isn’t law yet.

Arizona has search interest but no plug-in statute that we could find. EcoFlow’s own US store notes also list Connecticut, and news coverage mentions other states. We only included states where we could read the law itself, so if you live elsewhere, ask your utility and your state utility commission before you buy.

How an EcoFlow STREAM kit works

EcoFlow sells two STREAM pieces in the US. Its pages don’t agree on where they can be used: the STREAM Microinverter page footnotes say Utah only, EcoFlow’s plug-in solar blog says Utah and Maryland, and the US store listings say Utah, Maryland, Connecticut, and Colorado. Check the listing on the day you buy.

A few details from EcoFlow’s own Q&A matter more than the spec sheet:

• The microinverter works only with STREAM Ultra, not with EcoFlow’s portable power stations.
• Check net metering first. EcoFlow tells buyers to confirm their electric billing supports net metering before buying the microinverter. If it doesn’t, EcoFlow points to STREAM Ultra plus a Shelly Pro 3EM meter, so the system stores surplus solar instead of pushing it to the grid.
• Skip power strips and extension cords. EcoFlow recommends against plugging either unit into a power strip and says the Ultra’s AC cable can’t be extended.
• Third-party panels work on the microinverter if each PV input stays within 60 V and 14 A and uses MC4 connectors.

If plug-in solar is legal where you live, you can see the current price and stock on EcoFlow’s STREAM Microinverter page. For what to look for in any brand, see what to look for in a microinverter.

How much power can a 1,200 W system make?

Here’s the ceiling, as plain arithmetic: 1,200 W × 5 hours of full sun = 6 kWh in a day. Real output is lower because panels on a balcony are rarely at the ideal angle, partial shade cuts output, and hot panels lose efficiency. EcoFlow’s own estimate for one STREAM Microinverter is 2,409 kWh a year, which it says is a simulation based on 5.5 sun-hours a day. Treat that as a best case.

The money only counts if you use the power while it’s being made. Utah and Maine exclude these systems from net metering, and Maryland exempts them from its net metering sections and bars them from earning renewable energy credits. In those states, power you export may earn you nothing. That’s why a small battery, or a system sized to your daytime base load (fridge, router, and other always-on gear), usually makes more sense than the biggest kit the law allows. Our fridge and freezer runtime guide shows how to estimate those loads.

Before you buy: a short checklist

• Confirm your state has an enacted law in effect, and read the cap (watts of output, not panel watts).
• Check the listing: UL 3700 (Maine names it), UL 1741, or certification as a complete plug-in PV system (California’s wording). A listed microinverter alone may not satisfy a law that asks for a listed system.
• File any notice your state requires, on time (Virginia: before installing; Maine: within 30 days above 420 W).
• Renters: read your lease. Colorado’s HOA protections start in 2027, and Maine requires you to restore the structure when you move out.
• Use a dedicated, grounded outlet where you can. Maine requires one above 420 W. No power strips or extension cords.
• Don’t expect outage power unless the kit has a battery with its own outlets.

FAQ

Is plug-in solar legal in Arizona?

We didn’t find an enacted Arizona law creating a plug-in solar category as of October 23, 2026. Without one, your utility’s interconnection rules still govern anything that feeds your home’s wiring. Ask your utility before plugging in a grid-tied kit. A portable power station charged by its own panels doesn’t feed your wiring and doesn’t raise this issue.

Do I need my utility’s permission?

Not in the states above, once their laws are in effect. Each one bars the utility from requiring approval. But Maryland and Virginia require notice, Maine requires it above 420 W, and Colorado and California let the utility ask for it.

Can I plug in more than one kit to get more power?

The caps apply per meter, address, customer, or dwelling, depending on the state, not per outlet. Maryland allows one system per meter, and Colorado allows one system per address and one device per outlet.

Will a plug-in system keep my lights on during an outage?

No. The laws we read require it to stop feeding the building or the grid when the grid goes down (Maryland’s text relies on the device’s certification instead of spelling this out). A battery unit like STREAM Ultra can still power appliances plugged directly into its own outlets, according to EcoFlow.

What about the EcoFlow STREAM alternatives?

BLUETTI announced a grid-tie balcony system back in 2023 (see our BLUETTI EP800 balcony storage article). Whatever the brand, check the US listing, the output cap, and whether the store says it can be used in your state.

Sources

• Utah HB 340 (2025), enrolled copy (checked Oct 23, 2026)
• Maryland HB 1532 (2026) bill page and Chapter 353 text (checked Oct 23, 2026)
• Maine LD 1730 status (Chapter 644) and committee amendment text (checked Oct 23, 2026)
• Colorado HB26-1007 bill page and signed act (checked Oct 23, 2026)
• Code of Virginia §56-596.8 (checked Oct 23, 2026)
• California SB 868, Chapter 985 text (checked Oct 23, 2026)
• New York Assembly A09111 bill history (checked Oct 23, 2026)
• EcoFlow US: STREAM Microinverter and STREAM Ultra store pages (checked Oct 23, 2026)
• EcoFlow: Where is plug-in solar legal in the US? (dated July 4, 2026; used only for background)

Related on Off Grid Power Boom

• What to look for in a microinverter
• Off-grid vs on-grid home battery systems
• Transfer switch safety
• US solar incentives and solar power stations
• BLUETTI EP800 grid-tie balcony storage
• EcoFlow vs Anker SOLIX