The cable ends in a normal plug. Everything the panel makes is used by whatever is already drawing power inside, and nothing is sent back to the grid. That is the reason the permit and the interconnection paperwork disappear.
Where SB 868 actually stands
Senate Bill 868, the Plug Into the Sun Act, would treat small plug-in solar devices as household appliances rather than power plants. That one reclassification removes the utility interconnection application and the permit fees, which are the two things that turn a $600 panel into a $3,000 project.
What the law allows
Systems up to 1,200 watts AC per home, plugged into a standard 120-volt outlet. Devices have to be safety certified, including anti-islanding, the feature that shuts the panel off the moment the grid goes down so nobody working on the line gets hurt. Utilities would be barred from charging interconnection fees for them.
Twelve hundred watts is not a roof system. It will not run your air conditioning and it will not take you off the grid. It is closer to the size that covers a refrigerator, a router, and the other things drawing power all day whether you are home or not.
Who each one is actually for
Rooftop solar has never worked for renters, and it has never worked for most apartments. You cannot put panels on a roof you do not own or a roof you share. Plug-in is the first version of this a tenant can buy, set up in an afternoon, and unplug when the lease ends.
Get told when Plug in marketplace is live
No payment, no deposit, no order. There is nothing to buy yet, and we are not going to pretend otherwise by taking money for a product California has not legalized. The bill is signed and takes effect January 1, 2027. Join the list and we will email you the day our plug-in marketplace opens.
We will write when there are kits listed, and again when the law takes effect on January 1. Nothing in between.
Questions people actually ask
Is plug-in solar legal in California right now?
Not yet. SB 868 was signed on September 30, 2026 and is Chapter 985 of the 2026 statutes, but it takes effect January 1, 2027. Until that date the existing utility interconnection rules still apply.
What does SB 868 actually allow?
Up to 1,200 watts of aggregate AC output per home, plugged into a standard outlet. From January 1, 2027 the law exempts these devices from interconnection requirements, so there is no application to your utility and no approval to wait for. The device has to be certified as a plug-in photovoltaic system by UL or an equivalent lab, including its anti-backfeeding features.
Would I need a permit or an electrician?
No. That is the whole point of the category. There is no roof penetration, no work inside your electrical panel, and nothing added to your service. Your utility may ask you to fill in a simple online registration with the make, model and size of the device, but registration is not an approval and cannot be used to stop you.
Can I use plug-in solar if I rent?
The law removes the utility from the equation. It does not touch your lease or your HOA rules on exterior modifications. If you rent, you will still be having that conversation with whoever owns the building, and the plain reading of SB 868 is that it does not give you a right to install over a landlord's objection.
How much would 1,200 watts do for my bill?
Less than most coverage implies, and it depends on the same things rooftop production depends on: which way the panel faces, what shades it, and where you live. A 1,200 watt setup is a small fraction of a rooftop system and it is not going to zero out a bill. What it does is reduce the power you buy during daylight hours, on something you can buy yourself and take with you when you move.
When could I actually buy one?
Not yet. SB 868 takes effect January 1, 2027, so that is the earliest a plug-in system can legally be used in California. Be skeptical of any retailer advertising one as available before then: signed is not the same as in effect.
Meanwhile, if you do own your roof
Rooftop solar is legal today and is a different scale of thing entirely. If you own a house with a usable roof, that is the conversation worth having now, and you can see real quotes from several installers without anyone calling you.