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California signs portable solar bill; safety limits remain

Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 868 on September 30. The measure creates an interconnection exemption for qualifying portable solar systems of no more than 1,200 watts per residence, with certification and grid-safety requirements.

By Greener Numbers Editorial Team · Published September 30, 2026 · Updated 9/30/2026

Governor Gavin Newsom announced on September 30, 2026 that he signed Senate Bill 868, authored by Senator Scott Wiener. The bill addresses portable solar generation devices, often called plug-in or balcony solar.

The enrolled bill limits qualifying devices to no more than 1,200 watts per residence and requires them to offset electricity use at the same premises. Systems must meet specified safety certification requirements and include a certified feature that prevents electricity from feeding into the grid during a power outage. This is not permission to plug any solar panel or uncertified inverter into a household outlet.

For devices that meet the definition, the measure provides an exemption from utility interconnection requirements until January 1, 2030. Utilities may require a simple online registration identifying the address, make, model and size. The exemption does not mean that certification or other safety requirements disappear.

The governor announcement verifies signing, while the enrolled legislative text supplies the device limits. Neither source guarantees a particular household saving, confirms that certified retail kits are immediately available, or establishes that a renter can ignore lease or building restrictions. This brief does not treat the earlier August legislative vote as today's development: today's development is the governor's signature.

Official source: gov.ca.gov ↗