New Jersey representative Rob Menendez has introduced a bill that would require states to “consider removing barriers to plug-in solar” and establish a US$100 million Department of Energy (DOE) grant to fund rebates for low- and moderate-income households that install plug-in solar.
Plug-in solar, sometimes called balcony solar, consists of residential solar modules that can be plugged into a home’s sockets, allowing occupants to generate clean electricity without having to connect to grid infrastructure. The practice has received legislative support from a number of states this year, including New Jersey, California and Colorado, but Menendez’s bill, dubbed the ‘Socket Full of Sunshine Act,’ would be the first federal-level policy to support plug-in solar.
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“Representative Menendez has just taken a giant leap toward energy affordability for all Americans,” said Bright Saver Co-CEO and co-founder Cora Stryker, co-CEO of rooftop solar advocacy group Bright Saver, who spoke to PV Tech Premium earlier this year about the challenges presented by the US’ “fragmented policy landscape” with regards to plug-in solar.
“Ten states now have laws on the books to open the door to affordable solar that plugs into a standard outlet,” she added. “Representative Menendez has just opened the door to energy equity in all 50 states, for renters and homeowners alike.”
The bill includes five provisions, including that state legislators consider removing barriers to plug-in solar; Menendez argues that in states without explicit plug-in solar rules, such systems are subjected to grid connection rules that are designed for larger rooftop solar installations, and this mismatch can lead to “unnecessary installation costs” that Menendez says can “double” the price a residential occupant would have to pay to install their systems.
Other provisions include the DOE fund to improve the project economics of plug-in solar for occupants, to “protect renters’ rights to use plug-in solar devices” so that those who do not own their homes are not prevented from using the technology and the creation of a label that shows consumers their expected electricity savings. Menendez estimates that plug-in solar systems can cost US$285-3,500 depending on the size of the system, and could cut electricity bills by “hundreds of dollars a year,” meaning that some users could see a return on their investment quickly.
The bill also calls for “clear safety standards” for plug-in solar devices, which was an obstacle identified by Joseph Shangraw, research analyst for solar supply chains at Wood Mackenzie, who spoke to PV Tech Premium on the topic over the summer.
He said that, compared to European plug-in solar systems, US projects can “start to push safety limits,” and called for more robust safety certification from organisations like UL Solutions, which has already launched the UL 3700 certification for plug-in solar specifically.
Bright Saver and SEMA Coalition offer support to bill
The bill has received support from a number of organisations in the US solar industry, such as Bright Saver and the Solar Energy Manufactures for America (SEMA) Coalition.
While the coalition said to PV Tech that it would be too early to suggest that the passage of a bill like this could encourage a wave of new investment in US plug-in solar manufacturing, as happened with earlier legislation such as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the coalition’s executive director Mike Carr said the bill could “create new demand for US-made solar products.”
“The Socket Full of Sunshine Act recognises that expanding access to affordable solar energy and supporting American manufacturing should go hand in hand,” said Carr. “By prioritising American-made products and tying federal rebates to domestic manufacturing and content requirements, this legislation can help create new demand for US-made solar products and strengthen our domestic supply chains.
“Plug-in solar offers another way for Americans to lower their electricity bills while supporting American jobs and building a brighter future for domestic manufacturing.”
