1.  In 2025, HB 340 Solar Power Amendments was passed unanimously by the Utah Legislature. This bill: 

1. • Defines a “portable solar generation device” as having a maximum power output of 1200 watts; is connected to a building through a standard 120-volt AC outlet; is used for customer consumption; meets the National Electrical Code; and is certified by Underwriters Laboratories or an equivalent laboratory. 

1. • These devices are exempt from utility interconnection requirements and are not subject to utility net metering program requirements, while the utility is not liable for any damage or injury caused by the equipment. 
   • These devices must include a feature that prevents the system from energizing the building during a power outage. 
     
     
2. Utah’s HB 340 has served as model legislation for bills across the country. As of August 2026, nine other states have passed similar bills, and six additional states are actively considering such legislation.
   
   
3. Existing plug-in solar systems that are sold in Utah include components that are UL certified individually. Importantly, the most significant, and unique, element of the system is the inverter which is UL 1741 certified which ensures that the inverter cannot backfeed the grid in the case of a power outage. The UL 3700 certification for the entire plug-in solar system has not yet gone through the technical process to certify whole systems, however there is now one plug-in solar inverter which is compliant with UL 3700 (Hoymiles HiFlow Pro LV 120V 360W Microinverter). 
   
   
4. Context 

• • Over a million of these systems are registered in Germany 
  • While there are some safety considerations, these systems have been reliable and safe elsewhere, and we can see that happen here 
  • There is widespread enthusiasm and media coverage of these systems and Utah’s role in bringing this technology to the forefront. People like the fact that they are inexpensive, available regardless of whether you are a homeowner or renter, and that they reduce residential electricity usage, giving people a sense of autonomy and self-determination. This opinion piece covers many of these issues nicely: Opinion | The Tiny Solar Panel That Could Change America. 

For more information, please check out the following resources: 

• Bright Saver – a non-profit promoting and facilitating plug-in solar in the United States. Their white paper on plug-in solar is available here. 
• Clean Energy States Alliance – What States Need to Know about Plug-in Solar 

News articles: 

Plug-In Solar Panels are Starting to Sprout in U.S. Backyards