Plug in.Point up.Power on

You don't set the price of electricity. Being able to make a little at home would give you another option. Plug-in solar could bring that choice to more Canadians, including renters and people in apartments. A small kit would cover part of a home's needs, with the rest still coming from the grid.

A plug-in solar kit uses small panels to make electricity for your home. A device called a microinverter converts that power for use in your home's wiring. Kits can mount on a balcony, a wall or a railing and connect through a regular wall outlet. Germany has more than a million of them. We're working to make certified kits an option here.

Equipment certification, electrical rules and permission to use a building are separate parts of the problem. A safety standard can establish requirements for the kit itself. The rules also need to explain how a household can connect it. The campaign asks Canada and the provinces to address those parts together.

We're asking for a CSA safety standard and a simple connection process for certified plug-in solar kits up to 1,200 W. The electricity would be used at home, without net metering. Changes to the Canadian Electrical Code, followed by provincial adoption, would help bring that option to households. Add your name to the national petition.