Plug-in Solar Tracker

Updates

Every law or data change, newest first. Subscribe with the RSS feed.

  1. Solar output added for every state, including vertical railing panels

    NREL PVWatts figures are now available for all 50 states and DC in two cases: panels tilted at 20° facing south, and panels hung vertically on a south-facing railing. Savings estimates now show both. Source

  2. Kit verdicts: lab-listed states judged separately from UL 3700 states

    In Utah, Maryland, Colorado, Connecticut and Virginia, whose laws ask for lab certification without naming UL 3700, a kit with a lab certificate we have seen for its inverter is now shown as "Likely compatible: confirm with seller" (APsystems EZ1-LV). Claims without certificates are labelled as claims. Connecticut and Maryland kits with several inverters carry a device-count note. Source

  3. Savings now show a typical case alongside the best case

    Estimates now show a typical share of output used at home (69%), from HTW Berlin's plug-in solar model for an 800 W system without a battery in a 3,000 kWh/yr home, next to the 100% best case. The calculator lets you change the share. Source

  4. Electricity prices now use a rolling 12-month average

    State electricity prices now use EIA's residential average for September 2025 – August 2026 (12 months), total revenue divided by total sales, replacing the January-August 2026 figure. Source

  5. · New Hampshire

    New Hampshire: shown as "Signed — details being verified"

    Reports and an unofficial copy of the final text say SB 540 became Chapter 262, effective January 1, 2027. We could not reach the state legislature website to confirm it, so every New Hampshire rule is held as unknown until we do. Source

  6. · California

    California: SB 868 signed into law

    SB 868 (Electricity: portable solar generation devices) was signed on 2026-09-30. Effective date: 2027-01-01. Source

  7. · New Jersey

    New Jersey: S2368 / A4836 signed into law

    S2368 / A4836 (Garden State Balcony Solar Act) was signed on 2026-09-01. Effective date: 2027-03-01. Source

  8. · Vermont

    Vermont: S.202 signed into law

    S.202 (An act relating to plug-in photovoltaic devices) was signed on 2026-06-16. Effective date: 2026-07-01. Source

  9. · Connecticut

    Connecticut: HB 5340 signed into law

    HB 5340 (An Act Concerning Renewable Power Generation) was signed on 2026-06-04. Effective date: 2026-10-01. Source

  10. · Maryland

    Maryland: HB 1532 signed into law

    HB 1532 (Utility RELIEF (Reducing Energy Load Inflation for Everyday Families) Act) was signed on 2026-05-12. Effective date: 2026-07-01. Source

  11. · Colorado

    Colorado: HB26-1007 signed into law

    HB26-1007 (Improve Customer Use Distributed Energy Resources) was signed on 2026-05-07. Effective date: 2026-08-12. Source

  12. · Virginia

    Virginia: HB 395 signed into law

    HB 395 (Electric utilities; small portable solar generation devices, local regulation) was signed on 2026-04-22. Effective date: 2027-01-01. Source

  13. · Maine

    Maine: LD 1730 (SP 676) signed into law

    LD 1730 (SP 676) (An Act to Make Small Plug-in Solar Generation Devices Accessible for All Maine Residents to Address the Energy Affordability Crisis) was signed on 2026-04-06. Effective date: 2026-07-29. Source

  14. · Utah

    Utah: H.B. 340 signed into law

    H.B. 340 (Solar Power Amendments) was signed on 2025-03-25. Effective date: 2025-05-07. Source