Connecticut's Plug-In Solar Law Is Now in Effect: What It Allows

Short answer: Connecticut’s plug-in solar rules took effect on October 1, 2026. You can now use one plug-in solar device of up to 1,200 W per electric meter without your utility’s approval, an interconnection agreement or a fee, as long as the device meets the law’s code and certification requirements. They’re in section 9 of Public Act 26-127, a broader renewable energy bill (HB 5340) that the governor signed on June 4, 2026 (bill history).

What the law allows

The act calls these systems “portable solar generation devices”. To qualify, a device must:

• not be permanently attached to a structure;
• put out no more than 1,200 W;
• plug into a standard 120 V outlet on your side of the electric meter;
• be meant mainly to offset part of your own electricity use;
• meet the State Building Code, the National Electrical Code (NFPA 70) and IEEE 1547;
• be certified by UL or an equivalent nationally recognized testing laboratory and meet UL 1741;
• include a device or feature that stops it from energizing your home’s wiring during a power outage;
• carry a warning that any power it makes beyond what you use at home is charged to you as usage, unless your meter allows net metering.

If it qualifies, your utility can’t require its approval before you install or use it, charge any fee for it other than charges from its use, or make you add equipment beyond what’s built in. The device is also exempt from the regulator’s interconnection agreement rules. All of this applies to one device per meter, and the utility isn’t liable for damage or injury the device causes.

What it means for you

• Apartments and houses alike: the law works per electric meter, not per building type. It doesn’t mention leases or homeowners associations, so a renter still needs the landlord’s permission and an owner should check any HOA rules.
• UL 1741, not UL 3700: Connecticut’s text names UL 1741, a standard inverters are tested under, including for shutting off during an outage (UL). It doesn’t mention UL 3700, the newer program written for plug-in systems. Whatever the box says, check the listing in the lab’s own directory.
• Don’t oversize: because extra output can be billed as usage on a meter without net metering, size the system to what your home uses during the day. Our plug-in solar calculator lets you set how much of a system’s output you use on the spot.
• Local rules still apply: the act keeps the building, fire and local codes in force, and asks the State Building Inspector and the State Fire Marshal to consider rules for safe installation in their next code updates.

New to the idea? Start with what plug-in solar is.