Follow the decisions and events that brought plug-in solar to more homes. The map shows changes overseas alongside the campaign for certified kits in Canada.
Scroll to follow the events. Map colours mark milestones, not permission to install anywhere in a country. Each card gives the date, conditions and source.
Germany publishes VDE-AR-N 4105, covering generators connected to the low-voltage electricity network. It helps establish the technical groundwork for smaller household systems.
Source · VDESeoul launches its One Less Nuclear Power Plant energy programme in 2012. A trial of small solar generators for apartment balconies follows in 2013, bringing household solar into a city of apartment buildings.
Source · Seoul Metropolitan GovernmentGermany's installation standard addresses small solar devices that connect through a plug and socket. It is a step toward treating a household kit as a distinct kind of installation, with its own connection requirements.
Source · VDEThe EU's electricity market directive recognises customers who generate, store or sell their own electricity. It asks member states to avoid disproportionate barriers. National rules still determine how a household connects a kit.
Source · EUR-LexRussia's invasion of Ukraine deepens Europe's energy crisis. As electricity prices rise, more households look at solar as a way to meet part of their own needs. The International Energy Agency reports growing demand for solar on homes and businesses.
Source · IEAGermany's Solar Package I makes it easier to register qualifying plug-in systems, including kits with inverter output up to 800 W. Registration with the national energy register remains required, while a separate notification to the grid operator is no longer needed for qualifying systems.
Source · BundesnetzagenturUtah's House and Senate pass HB 340 unanimously. The law creates an exemption from utility interconnection requirements for qualifying portable solar systems up to 1,200 W. The vote shows support for household solar across party lines.
Source · Utah LegislatureGermany's energy regulator records about 430,000 plug-in solar systems registered during 2025. This is a count of registered systems added that year. It does not include an estimate of unregistered kits.
Source · BundesnetzagenturUL Solutions announces a US certification programme based on UL 3700, its Outline of Investigation for plug-in solar equipment. Product testing is one part of the process. Permission to install and connect a kit still depends on the rules where it will be used.
Source · UL SolutionsMaine enacts LD 1730 on April 6. It creates a route for qualifying plug-in solar devices, with different installation requirements depending on their power. A law being signed is a milestone. Its effective date and equipment requirements still matter.
Source · Maine LegislatureBy June, Utah, Virginia, Maine, Maryland, Colorado, Connecticut and Vermont have passed plug-in solar laws. Each law has its own conditions and effective date. The growing list gives other jurisdictions examples to examine.
Source · Canary MediaGovernor Kelly Ayotte signs SB 540. The law provides an exemption from utility approval, interconnection agreements and fees for one qualifying plug-in solar system of up to 1,200 W per customer.
Source · New Hampshire General Court, SB 540 (2026)The Assembly passes SB 868 by 73 to 0 and the Senate agrees by 36 to 4. The bill would exempt qualifying plug-in solar systems up to 1,200 W per home from utility approval and interconnection fees. It is sent to the governor for a decision.
Source · California Legislative Information, SB 868 statusNew regulations take effect in England, Wales and Scotland. They allow households to connect a solar kit of up to 800 W through a standard socket, provided it meets the government's interim product specification.
Source · UK Government, SI 2026/848 (legislation.gov.uk)Governor Mikie Sherrill signs the Garden State Balcony Solar Act. It removes utility approval and interconnection fees for qualifying devices up to 1,200 W. The law also limits restrictions by municipalities, landlords and homeowners associations.
Source · Office of Governor Mikie SherrillOur campaign asks for certified plug-in solar kits up to 1,200 W, with electricity used at home and no net metering. A Canadian safety standard, changes to the electrical code and provincial adoption all have a part to play. You can help by adding your name.
SourcePeople elsewhere can already make some electricity at home with plug-in solar. Help make certified kits an option in Canada too.
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