<\/p>\n Bhavin Misra, left, and his son, Rumi, 10, assemble a Craftstrom Solar plug-in kit at their home Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo\/David J. Phillip)<\/p>\n Bhavin Misra, left, and his son, Rumi, 10, assemble a Craftstrom Solar plug-in kit at their home Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo\/David J. Phillip)<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n The $2,000 plug-in solar system installed on Dwyer\u2019s backyard deck in March consists of two 400 watt panels, an inverter, a smart meter and a circuit breaker. It saves him around $35 per month on his power bill because he is consuming less energy from the grid, but he said reducing his carbon footprint<\/a> was his primary motivation. <\/p>\n \u201cWe like the environmental benefits of solar and wanted to engage with solar in some fashion,\u201d Dwyer said.<\/p>\n Had Dwyer opted for rooftop solar, he would have paid $20,000 for the system and $30,000 to upgrade his roof to support the panels.<\/p>\n Installing a plug-in solar system requires some homework. What power companies let customers do with energy-generating equipment varies, which is why prospective purchasers should check their utility\u2019s policies first. Building permits might be required depending on the municipality. Some systems can be self-installed, while others may require an electrician. For example, some kits have meters that must be wired into a home\u2019s circuit breaker. <\/p>\n Removing hurdles for plug-in solar<\/p>\n Dwyer bought his system from Bright Saver, a nonprofit company in California that advocates for plug-in solar. In addition to the type Dwyer bought, the company also offers a smaller model costing $399 that recently sold out in six days.<\/p>\n \u201cThe interest and demand have been overwhelming,\u201d said Cora Stryker, a founder of Bright Saver. \u201cIt is clear that we are hitting a nerve \u2014 many Americans have wanted solar for a long time but have not had an option that is feasible and affordable for them until now.\u201d<\/p>\n \n Bhavin Misra plugs his Craftstrom Solar unit into an outlet at his home Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo\/David J. Phillip)\n <\/p>\n Bhavin Misra plugs his Craftstrom Solar unit into an outlet at his home Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo\/David J. Phillip)<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n \n The app controller for a newly installed Craftstrom Solar plug-in kit is shown at the home of Bhavin Misra Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo\/David J. Phillip)\n <\/p>\n The app controller for a newly installed Craftstrom Solar plug-in kit is shown at the home of Bhavin Misra Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo\/David J. Phillip)<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n Kevin Chou, another founder of Bright Saver, said wider adoption of the systems in the U.S. has been hindered by utility policies that create uncertainty about whether they\u2019re allowed and a lack of state and local policies to make clear what rules apply.<\/p>\n Some utilities contacted by The Associated Press say plug-in solar systems require the same interconnection applications as rooftop panels that send electricity back to the wider network. But Steven Hegedus, an electrical engineering professor at University of Delaware, said he doesn\u2019t understand why a utility would need to require an interconnection agreement for plug-in solar because, unlike rooftop systems, they are designed to prevent energy from flowing to the grid.<\/p>\n Still, if in doubt, a customer should follow their utility\u2019s policy. <\/p>\n During the early days of plug-in solar\u2019s growth, some opposition from utilities is likely since customers are buying less energy, said Robert Cudd, a research analyst at the California Center for Sustainable Communities at the University of California, Los Angeles.<\/p>\n \u201cUtilities really prefer everyone being a predictable and generous consumer of the electricity they sell,\u201d Cudd said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bhavin Misra, right, and his son, Rumi, 10, assemble a Craftstrom Solar plug-in kit at their home Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo\/David J. Phillip)<\/p>\n Bhavin Misra, right, and his son, Rumi, 10, assemble a Craftstrom Solar plug-in kit at their home Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo\/David J. Phillip)<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n This year, Utah enacted a novel law supporting plug-in solar by exempting certain small-scale systems from interconnection agreements and establishing safety requirements such as being certified by a nationally recognized testing organization such as Underwriters Laboratories. It appears to be the only state that\u2019s passed legislation supporting plug-in solar, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.<\/p>\n Republican state Rep. Raymond Ward, who sponsored the legislation, said the smaller systems allow people to better manage where their energy comes from and what they pay.<\/p>\n \u201cEurope has these things. You can go buy them and they work and people want them. There is no reason why we shouldn\u2019t have them here in the United States,\u201d Ward said. <\/p>\n Bright Saver says they are lobbying other states for similar legislation. <\/p>\n Alexis Abramson, dean of the University of Columbia Climate School, also applauded Utah\u2019s move. <\/p>\n \u201cWe actually need more localities, more states putting in allowances for this type of equipment,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Plug-in solar availability and savings potential <\/p>\n Some questions remain about how much customers could save. Severin Borenstein, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley\u2019s Haas School of Business, said the cost of some portable solar systems in the U.S. would make it hard for customers to come out ahead on their utility bills over the time they own them. He estimates the price of a $2,000 system in the U.S. works out to paying about $0.20 a kilowatt-hour over a 25-year period, which only saves people money if they have high utility costs. By comparison, Borenstein said the cost of systems sold in Europe, typically around $600, is equivalent to paying about $0.05 or $0.06 per kilowatt-hour over 25 years.<\/p>\n \n Craig Keenan runs a wire to an outlet after installing a solar panel from Bright Saver on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo\/KT Kanazawich)\n <\/p>\n Craig Keenan runs a wire to an outlet after installing a solar panel from Bright Saver on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo\/KT Kanazawich)<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n \n Craig Keenan prepares to install a microinverter with his solar panel from Bright Saver on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo\/KT Kanazawich)\n <\/p>\n Craig Keenan prepares to install a microinverter with his solar panel from Bright Saver on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo\/KT Kanazawich)<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n Baltimore resident Craig Keenan said saving money was only part of why he installed one of the smaller Bright Saver models on his balcony in July.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m interested in renewable energy<\/a> because the amount of carbon emissions that we produce as a species is very, very unsustainable for our world,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He said he expects the system will save him about $40 per year on utility bills, so it would take him about 10 years to recoup the cost of the kit.<\/p>\n Keenan, a mechanical engineer, said installation took him 10 to 15 minutes.<\/p>\n \u201cI think anyone can install this,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not complicated. It doesn\u2019t require a technical degree.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A solar panel fromBright Saver sits at Craig Keenan\u2019s home Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo\/KT Kanazawich)<\/p>\n A solar panel fromBright Saver sits at Craig Keenan\u2019s home Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo\/KT Kanazawich)<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n Other companies selling plug-in solar kits include Texas-based Craftstrom. It has sold about 2,000 systems in the U.S. since 2021, mostly in California, Texas and Florida. The company\u2019s basic kits contain a solar panel that can fit in a backyard or other sunny space, along with equipment to maintain and regulate the flow of energy including an inverter and smart meter. <\/p>\n Kenneth Hutchings, Craftstrom\u2019s chief revenue officer, said their U.S. sales rose this year even before the passage of the GOP tax bill<\/a>, and he expects demand for plug-in solar to increase further as federal rooftop solar credits expire. <\/p>\n The company advises customers to notify their power company before installation, but it has \u201cnever had any pushback from any utility,\u201d said Michael Scherer, one of the founders of Craftstrom.<\/p>\n China-based EcoFlow plans to begin selling plug-in solar systems in Utah and expand to other states if supportive legislation is passed, said Ryan Oliver, a company spokesperson. <\/p>\n \u201cThis is an example of where technology is sort of ahead of the regulators,\u201d Oliver said, adding: \u201cAs this rolls out to more of a nationwide product, we expect it will become more mainstream as people understand it better.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bhavin Misra assembles a Craftstrom Solar plug-in kit at his home Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo\/David J. Phillip)<\/p>\n Bhavin Misra assembles a Craftstrom Solar plug-in kit at his home Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo\/David J. Phillip)<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n Associated Press video journalist Mingson Lau in Baltimore contributed to this report. <\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n The Associated Press\u2019 climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP\u2019s standards<\/a> for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When Terrence Dwyer received a knock on his door and a flyer for a solar panel system small…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":148637,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[64,276,10106,87574,69,10102,440,57,87573,87576,2934,87575,405,27902,80,87570,866,87571,87569,87572,61,322,67,132,68,436,424,17084],"class_list":{"0":"post-148636","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business","8":"tag-business","9":"tag-california","10":"tag-climate-and-environment","11":"tag-craig-keenan","12":"tag-donald-trump","13":"tag-energy-industry","14":"tag-europe","15":"tag-general-news","16":"tag-kenneth-hutchings","17":"tag-kevin-chou","18":"tag-legislation","19":"tag-michael-scherer","20":"tag-new-york","21":"tag-planets","22":"tag-politics","23":"tag-raymond-ward","24":"tag-renewable-energy","25":"tag-ryan-oliver","26":"tag-steven-hegedus","27":"tag-terrence-dwyer","28":"tag-u-s-news","29":"tag-u-s-republican-party","30":"tag-united-states","31":"tag-unitedstates","32":"tag-us","33":"tag-ut-state-wire","34":"tag-utah","35":"tag-utilities"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115034507601354529","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148636","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=148636"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148636\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/148637"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=148636"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=148636"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=148636"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/p>\n
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