Solar Panels That Plug into Your Wall Are About to Be Everywhere
Plug-in solar panels, which can be easily installed by apartment dwellers and homeowners, are gaining popularity across the United States. Several states have passed legislation to reduce red tape, making it easier for consumers to generate their own electricity.
Why it matters
Small-scale, accessible renewable energy solutions provide a practical way for individuals to reduce energy costs and carbon footprints without major infrastructure investments.
On a quiet street in suburban South Salt Lake City, Utah, the stirring of an energy revolution is taking shape. There, outside the spare bedroom of an unassuming, thousand-square-foot midcentury home sit three angled solar panels plugged into a nearby outlet.
Unlike the highly technical and expensive hurdles required to install a large rooftop solar system, the setup on Andrew Leon and Victoria Mauro’s lawn is small, portable, and cheap. The unit generates enough electricity to run laptops, lights, and some appliances, including the refrigerator.
Plug-in solar, also known as balcony solar because apartment dwellers can use it, is spreading quickly across the U.S. California is the latest state to pass a law reducing the red tape that has previously stymied consumers looking to generate some electricity from a small number of solar panels.
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