About One Plug Solar
One Plug Solar covers plug-in solar — also called balcony solar, portable solar, or in Germany a Balkonkraftwerk — for readers in the United States.
It is a small category with an unusual amount of noise around it. The technology is a decade old in Europe and about eighteen months old in American law, which means most of what is written about it is either translated from a very different electrical system or written to sell a kit. Neither is much help when you are trying to work out whether the thing makes sense on your balcony.
What we try to do
Cite primary sources. Where a state law is discussed, we read the bill. Where a safety standard is discussed, we read what the standards body published. Every guide ends with its sources, and they are linked.
Publish the arithmetic, not the headline. Savings figures on this site show the assumptions behind them — production, self-consumption rate, electricity price — so you can substitute your own numbers. A kit that pays back in three years in San Diego may take twelve in Boise, and both are true.
Say the unflattering parts. Plug-in solar will not run your home in a blackout. You will generally not be paid for surplus you export. There is a real circuit-overload concern that certification addresses but does not eliminate if you install carelessly. These come up in the guides because leaving them out would make the guides useless.
Avoid the "free energy" framing. It is a purchased appliance that reduces a recurring cost. That is a good thing, and it does not need overselling.
What this site is not
Not electrical advice. Not legal advice. Not financial advice. Wiring varies enormously between buildings, and plug-in solar rules differ by state, by utility, and by lease. If you are unsure whether a circuit is suitable, an hour of a licensed electrician's time is the cheapest part of this project.
Corrections and updates
Plug-in solar policy is moving faster than any other corner of US energy regulation — several states changed status during 2026 alone, and two bills were awaiting a governor's signature when these guides were last updated in August 2026. Every article carries an update date. If something here is out of date or wrong, we would like to know: hello@oneplugsolar.com.
Affiliate and advertising policy
Where product links earn a commission, that is disclosed on the page carrying them. Commission never determines whether a product is recommended, and no manufacturer reviews articles before publication.