California's SB 868 takes effect January 1, 2027. Cal. Pub. Util. Code §§ 8530–8532 (SB 868, 2026) exempts a qualifying plug-in solar device, certified as a plug-in system and up to 1,200 W per home, from utility interconnection rules until January 1, 2030.
Our kits aren't certified as a plug-in solar system, so they don't qualify for that exemption; installing one follows your utility's usual rules. From January 1, 2030, the law also restricts sales of devices that fail its code and certification conditions.
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California rules and sources
Statutes checked October 1, 2026
Signed · takes effect January 1, 2027Is plug-in solar legal in California?
Our current kits do not qualify for SB 868's interconnection exemption. That is separate from the sales restriction in § 8532, which begins January 1, 2030 for devices failing its code and certification conditions. Before that date, this sales restriction does not prohibit a sale; installation remains subject to applicable utility, electrical and property rules.
What the statute says
These provisions apply from January 1, 2027, only to a qualifying device. They are not permission to install today.
| Cap | 1,200 W of aggregated AC output. |
|---|---|
| Systems | Counted per dwelling. |
| Utility notification | Your utility may require you to register the address, make, model and size on a simple online form. Registration cannot be an approval. Check with your utility. |
| Interconnection fees | None for a qualifying device: the utility cannot charge any fee related to the device or the power it feeds into your home. |
| Local permit | The statute does not settle it. Check with your county or city before you mount anything. |
| Electrician | Not addressed by the statute. |
| HOA | SB 868 says nothing about HOAs. California's Solar Rights Act (Civ. Code § 714) limits HOA restrictions on solar energy systems, but whether it reaches a plug-in kit hasn't been settled. In a condo, a balcony is often common area, where § 714.1 allows reasonable approval rules; your declaration decides. Ask before you buy. |
| Landlord | SB 868 gives tenants no right to install, and we found no other California statute that does. Get your landlord's permission first. |
| Net metering | Not stated. Size for what you use in daylight either way; a plug-in system is not a net-metering system. |
| Certification named | The whole device must be safety-certified as a plug-in solar system, with a certified feature that stops it feeding the grid in a power outage. |
| Our kits | Not yet needs plug-in system certification |
Before you buy for California: the exemption covers only a device certified as a plug-in photovoltaic system, with a certified outage-isolation feature. Our inverter's UL 1741 certification doesn't make the kit one, so in California your utility's usual rules apply. Read the cite and decide with that in front of you.
Statute: Cal. Pub. Util. Code §§ 8530–8532 (SB 868, 2026) · Bill SB 868 (2025-2026 Reg. Sess.) · Signed September 30, 2026 · Effective January 1, 2027
Utilities: PG&E, Southern California Edison, SDG&E, LADWP, SMUD.
General information, not legal advice. US Plugin Solar is a retailer, not a law firm, and reading this doesn't make you our client. Statutes checked October 1, 2026. Laws, utility rules and local codes change, and your HOA documents, lease or town can add requirements this page can't see. Read the cite, and ask a lawyer licensed in California if your plans depend on it.
State information checked October 1, 2026. General information, not legal advice. All 10 statutes side by side →