Environment & Climate
New Jersey legalizes plug-in balcony solar panels under new law
The Garden State Balcony Solar Act allows residents and renters to install portable solar systems up to 1,200 watts without utility permits starting March 2027.
The short version
- New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill signed legislation legalizing small, plug-in solar panel systems up to 1,200 watts.
- The law applies to renters, condo owners, and residents without traditional solar roofs, barring landlords and HOAs from issuing blanket bans.
- Qualifying systems will not require municipal permits or utility interconnection agreements, provided they meet safety standards.
- The law is scheduled to take effect on March 1, 2027.
Key facts
- Governor Mikie Sherrill signed the Garden State Balcony Solar Act, legalizing plug-in solar systems with a capacity of up to 1,200 watts.[Electrek]
- The law takes effect on March 1, 2027.[Electrek]
- Qualifying systems do not require utility interconnection agreements, extra utility fees, or municipal permits, though standard electrical codes apply if separate wiring work is required.[Electrek]
- The solar equipment must be certified under the UL 3700 standard or an equivalent standard and must automatically stop sending power to the grid during outages.[Electrek]
- Landlords and homeowners associations cannot enact blanket bans against qualifying systems for tenants who pay their own electric bills, though they can set reasonable size and placement rules after 14 days' written notice.[Electrek]
- The plug-in systems are exempt from net metering, providing cost savings only by offsetting real-time electricity consumption rather than earning credits for excess grid power.[Electrek]