Balcony solar technology is experiencing growing legislative support across the United States, with nine states now having enacted laws enabling their deployment. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill signed the state’s balcony solar legislation into law on September 1, making it the ninth jurisdiction to adopt such measures. Earlier in the year, similar bills were enacted in Maine, Virginia, Colorado, Maryland, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Vermont, following Utah’s pioneering legislation in March of 2025.
Balcony solar systems are portable, plug-and-play units that connect to standard household electrical outlets and generate power from sunlight. Available in capacities typically ranging from 400 to 800 watts, these kits cost between $500 and $1,500 and can reduce monthly electricity bills by $15 to $50 depending on local utility rates. Unlike conventional rooftop solar installations, balcony units can be mounted on balconies, fences, patios, or other locations with adequate sunlight and can be transported when residents relocate. This portability makes the technology particularly attractive to renters and residents of multi-unit dwellings who cannot install traditional rooftop systems.
The expansion of balcony solar has been supported by advances in safety certification standards. In January, UL Solutions introduced UL 3700, a certification platform addressing consumer concerns about system safety. The standard ensures automatic power cutoff mechanisms, grid outage protection, overload protection, weatherproofing, and ground-fault detection. State legislation has also addressed barriers to adoption by preventing municipalities, landlords, homeowner associations, and utilities from imposing blanket prohibitions or excessive fees on plug-in solar installations.
New Jersey’s Garden State Balcony Solar Act exempts systems up to 1,200 watts from utility fees, approvals, and equipment mandates while preventing landlords and homeowner associations from broadly prohibiting their use. Additional bills have advanced in New York, California, and Massachusetts, with legislation progressing in Delaware, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Washington, DC. Eleven states have deferred consideration of balcony solar legislation until 2027, while utility industry opposition contributed to bills failing in Wyoming and Georgia.
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