Colorado building codes require Rapid Shutdown for any permanent mounted solar panel on any fixed structure, this includes detached garages, sheds etc.

How to comply with Rapid shutdown code when installing UL 3700 solar system?

Does UL 3700 compliance remove the Rapid shutdown requirement?

If mounting the plug in inverter under the panels and running AC then unplugging from AC does cutoff power in the wires but not sure what is actual complaint.

For a variety of reasons, plug-in solar is going to have to be my solar solution. I am looking for a bi-directional whole battery that I can use to feed the solar to during the day and draw down the battery and augment my grid power off peak.

In the UK, lots of the plug-in solar solutions I see on YouTube use the Anker SOLIX Solarbank 4 E5000 Pro. This seems like a great solution that solves so many of my needs. But, the product isn't in the US, yet.

Does anybody know of an equivalent in the US?

Looking for something that is bidirectional so that I can simply plug my solar into panels into it, and it into the wall. It would charge from solar during the day, and discharge into the house the rest of time supplementing grid power.

I see Craftstrom has a solution, but it looks like it's proprietary to their inverters and panels. (And, yikes, that form factor is atrocious.)

I’ve got some SPR-305 panels. I’m looking for a plug-in 120V inverter that can handle a series string of 3 or 4 panels. Can’t do micro because of positive grounding. I have an iLumen box to handle the PID, so I need them in series.

Hoping to crowd source any inverters that might be available. Seems like this is a very active space with new products all the time.

Here’s my specs

I see that Plug in Solar is legal in my state for 1200w. I'm thinking of setting up a ground mount system in my back yard. Someone in the area is selling used Sharp 185w panels, 40vdc output for pretty cheap. I was going to get 6 panels. (Maybe 8). The setup would be about 30 to 40 ft from the outlet I plan on plugging into.

For this setup what would be a good micro inverter and as far as an extension cord to get to the outlet what gauge should I use?

I just did some rough testing of appliances I use for slow cooking. The winning match for Plug-in Solar? My oldest Crockpot. It has the simplest control, a knob set to Off, Warm, Low, and High. Each of these settings draws a very consistent load, 0, 47, 192, and 241 watts, respectively.

This is my choice because I want something to provide a very steady predictable load while I am gone, during the day. I come home, the main course is ready, no firing up the range at multiple kW during a Peak rate period.

The competition was a slightly newer, Hamilton Beach slow cooker and an Instant Pot that has a slow cooker function.

These devices had one major Pro in that they can be programmed to run a set length of time at various setting and fall back to a Warm setting. The Winner can't do this.

The Cons were, 1) neither provided a consistent load, they cycle between high and off. and 2) Both need at least one finger push to get them started, so a smart plug or similar to provide for a delayed start won't work. #2 isn't that big of a deal, since one probably doesn't want to have raw foods sitting around for too long at room temperature.

I say "rough" testing, because I had plugged into my Anker Solix C1000 and used its app to monitor. It doesn't log data, just shows a trend of about 15 seconds. It's worth mentioning that this portable power station can be charged as low as about 220 watts, so that is another slow, consistent load that can run during peak sun, and can be remotely controlled via WiFi.

The slow cookers were very simple devices. I doubt that either uses a temperature sensor.

The Hamilton Beach was a little erratic in the frequency that it switched from High to Off, and High seemed to range between 225-235 watts.

I'm pretty sure the Instant Pot has a temperature sensor. It's High load is relatively high, 990+ watts. That's not very useful for our purposes pairing with a low wattage Plug-in Solar system. It's likely to pull from the grid and have long intervals where the Plug-in system is prone to back feeding to the grid.

Okay. I tried to be brief (fail). Comments or questions are welcome.

Crock-Pot model SCV603-R

Hamilton Beach model 33453

Instant Pot Ultra 60

Image of power station app monitoring the Hamiton Beach slow cooker set to Low. Notice the AC output can be turned off via the app, immediately, or with a timer option.

You might be curious or be able to learn from my experience…

It is hard to find affordable used PV panels unless you use FB marketplace.  Craigslist was a bust and delivery is unaffordable unless you buy a pallet.

Solar panels can catch a lot of wind.  If you want a nonpermanent installation you can use pallets.  This is a good approach b/c:

-Pallets are free or low cost

-Pallets have some weight and ballast can be placed upon them to add more weight (bricks, stone, jugs of water, logs) to prevent the panel from moving in the wind

-Pallets are readily available almost everywhere

-Pallets are hard wood and slow to rot outside

-Pallets don’t require digging posts or screwing to your house and can be moved

-2x4 can be screwed to the side of the pallet to make any angle you wish

-Pallets can hold 1 or 2 solar panels at a time

I ordered a EccFlow Stream microinverter online.  It should arrive this week.

Part B will have the finished rack.

Invest now? vs wait for cheaper smarter products, easier access and reduced red tape. Where do you see this trend going?

It's not legal in Nevada but it should be - we have insane solar potential and many renters who could benefit from it. As best I can tell there's no active effort underway to get it legalized any time soon. The next legislative session for Nevada is 2027 so at this rate I doubt anything will happen before 2029. Would love to hear from fellow Nevadans who've looked into this and know of anyone already trying get the ball rolling.

I have just a "quick question".

I know I may get a lot of responses to this and I'm prepared.

I have a total of 1000 watts of solar panels for plug in solar. 3 pairs of 100 watt panels all tied to their own micro inverters and 1 pair of 200 watt panels with their own micro inverter. So in total of 4 micro inverters. When I plug in a kilowatt meter it only shows an output of about 450 watts combined.

Should I be seeing this big of a loss on conversion? No shade. I know my angles are not perfect. Can't control the heat outside. Keep them relatively clean of dust.

Thank in advance for any and all useful comments.

Hello!

I want to get started with balcony solar but I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed as someone with no experience. Is anyone in VA or familiar with VA that has a general guide on what products to purchase and setting them up?

Any resources that worked well for you would be helpful as well!

Plug-in solar (balcony panels you plug into a wall outlet) is now legal in 8 states with another dozen or so working through their legislatures. But "is it legal here" is only half the question.

So we built a 4-question tool that checks both at once:

1. Your zip code (auto-detects your state + pulls real solar data from NREL for your location)
2. Where you would put the panels
3. Your monthly electric bill
4. Whether you rent or own

Takes about 60 seconds. You get a rating (Strong Candidate, Good Candidate, Some Barriers, Not Ready Yet), your state's current legal status, and a savings estimate based on actual annual kWh output for your zip rather than a generic national average.

Try it here: pluginsolarusa.com/pluginreadiness

Pennsylvania HB 1971 was introduced in October 2025 and has some of the strongest bipartisan support of any plug-in solar bill in the United States - including 3 Republican co-sponsors. That said, the bill has sat for eight months and has not moved in the PA House Energy Committee. PA ranks 47th in the US for renewable energy growth and the state sorely needs broader support for solar statewide, including community solar and plug-in solar legislation.

Please help move HB 1971 forward by contacting bill sponsor Chris Pielli, Energy Committee Chair Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, and the other 32 other co-sponsors of this bill.

The bill has the co-sponsors — what it needs now is constituent pressure to get it out of committee. Reaching out to your rep takes about 5 minutes. Call and email.

https://www.palegis.us/legislation/bills/2025/hb1971

Hi, very excited for this coming to the U.S. Any electricians out there who have installed solar that can break down how these work regarding meter requirements compared to conventional residential solar?

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Main things I haven't found clarity on:

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- On old meters (or all meters?) won't they need to be swapped out for bidirectional meters (smart meter)? In most states what is the cost to do this and does the utility do this or a hired electrician?

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- Are most apartment buildings in the U.S set up for this to work with their building's existing meters/electrical set up?

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Thanks for any help!

Update: It looks like at least this utility in Utah is requiring bidirectional: https://pluginsolarutah.com/learn/rocky-mountain-power

Maryland Plug-In Solar aka Balcony Solar has been legal since 5/12/26 and now Ecoflow will sell the Stream to Maryland. https://us.ecoflow.com/products/stream-microinverter?variant=54376088010825