Thanks to companion measures HB 395 and SB 250 signed into law by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, there is now a simplified route for so-called “balcony solar” devices up to 1,200 W, but many issues remain about how the law will be implemented.
Virginia is on the verge of becoming the second state in the country to pass a regulatory framework for what state legislators have dubbed “small portable solar generation devices” — better known as “plug-in solar panels” or “balcony solar.”
Days before the state’s General Assembly ends its 2026 legislative session, it has enacted two similar laws to set up restrictions for the usage of such devices: House Bill 395 and Senate Bill 250.
With strong bipartisan support in both chambers, the measures are the first pieces of plug-in solar legislation to pass both houses of a state legislature since Utah’s HB 340 on March 12, 2025.
As of this writing, efforts are ongoing to pass plug-in solar laws in at least 27 additional states—a movement that has been characterized as national. But measures in Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming have not yet moved this legislative session, and attempts in many other states have been delayed.
Even still, plug-in solar activists are ecstatic about this recent success.
“Clearly, Virginia’s leadership understands that both renters and homeowners need relief from rising energy bills now,”
said Cora Stryker, co-founder of the plug-in solar group Bright Saver.
“Virginia is paving the way to a cleaner, more affordable future – but it will certainly not be the last to achieve this milestone.”
Governor Abigail Spanberger of Virginia has praised the portable solar law as part of her “Affordable Virginia” program, which seeks to cut expenses for Virginians by assuring the state’s residents “are using the resources that they have to lower their energy bills.”
The governor has 30 days after the assembly adjourns March 14 to act on laws that passed. If she approves the portable solar legislation, as anticipated, the measure would take effect Jan. 1, 2027.
Highlights of the Virginia Legislation
The Virginia legislation defines a “movable photovoltaic generation device” as one intended to connect to an electrical outlet on the utility customer’s side of the electric meter, with a maximum power output of 1,200 watts per home.
The definition also requires such a device to include a device or feature to prevent the device from impacting or exporting power to the building’s electrical system during a power outage, meet the standards of the most recent National Electrical Code (NEC), and be certified by “a nationally recognized testing laboratory,” a term defined by federal law to include UL, Intertek and other such groups.
Notification Requirements and Utility Protections
The legislation would exclude devices that fulfill those criteria from utility interconnection rules, and would prohibit utilities from collecting fees or needing prior permission before a customer installs or uses a qualifying plug-in device. But the law requires customers to notify the utility prior to installing a portable solar device, and directs the State Corporation Commission to develop and publish a notification form that must include the customer’s name and contact information, electric service provider account number and meter number, and information about the device and its third-party certification.
The Act states that utilities are not responsible for any damage or injury caused by customer-owned and operated devices, and allows utilities to install an automated, locking disconnect switch at any property with more than one small portable solar production unit.
Renter Protections and Consumer Rights
Renters are among the biggest users of these devices; thus, the measure includes a clause that would prevent landlords and property managers with more than four rental housing units from forbidding tenants to use these panels. However, the measure does enable “reasonable restrictions” on size, location, and aesthetics of the gadgets. Tenants must inform their landlord and utility company of their desire to utilize the devices.
The law also defines small portable solar generators as “goods” covered under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act, which prohibits companies from misrepresenting quality or using deceptive advertising practices, and grants consumers clear rights of recourse for defective products.
Looking Forward
One firm preparing to serve Virginia customers is EcoFlow, which presently markets its STREAM plug & play solar system in Utah.
“We’re encouraged to see Virginia and states across the country embrace plug-in solar,”
said Ryan Oliver, director of communications for EcoFlow North America.
“Whether you live in a home, apartment, or condo, there’s a strong need for an inexpensive solar solution to balance fast-growing energy bills. We’re excited to be able to offer EcoFlow plug-in solar solutions to more people as states continue to remove barriers and allow residents to experience energy independence.”
The approval of these rules by Virginia is a big move forward for the budding plug-in solar business, but customers will have to wait until at least 2027 to legally begin gathering solar electricity from their balconies, patios and backyards.
Stakeholder Group to Shape Safety Standards
Before that, the law requires the Secretary of Commerce and Trade to host a stakeholder group meeting of representatives from government, utility and business communities, environmental advocacy groups, firefighters and realtors. Bright Saver aims to seek group membership, Stryker said.
The panel will analyze the NEC, national safety code and national laboratory certifications “to evaluate and develop recommendations regarding the safety standards and requirements applicable to small portable solar generation devices.”
GismoPower, a plug-in solar company, VP of Operations Erika Ginsburg-Klemmt said:
“Stakeholder procedures may be productive, but typically the result relies on which technical opinions are represented. Discussions on plug-in solar are often predicated on assumptions from older generator technologies, although current inverter-based systems are under quite different protection structures. But a working committee with experts knowledgeable about inverter standards, anti-islanding protection, and plug-connected generating models might help clear up safety problems that routinely hinder these laws.”
Much of the state legislation on plug-in solar, including Virginia’s, is aimed at these smaller balcony installations, but Ginsburg-Klemmt said GismoPower has been working on bigger 240-volt systems. The firm is now focusing on sovereign First Nations partners like the Oglala Lakota Nation, which has constructed the company’s MEGA solar carports on the Pine Ridge reservation.
Open Questions Around Outlet Standards
Safety risks mentioned in a new whitepaper from UL on plug-in photovoltaic (PIPV) systems are expected to be picked up by stakeholders. The UL whitepaper introduces the notion of a “PIPV unique configuration plug and receptacle” to address the concern that, in system designs following existing IEEE 1547 utility export restrictions, the blades of a regular plug might be powered for a maximum of two seconds.
The Virginia legislation omits the key term “standard” when they refer to the electrical outlet that a tiny portable solar production unit may be authorized to connect to. This phrasing provides the members of the work group something to talk about, but the 1,200-watt capacity restriction will keep that discussion focused on 120-volt architecture.
The secretary must report the group’s findings and recommendations to state authorities by Nov. 15, 2026.
