en.Wedoany.com Reported - The U.S. state of Utah has passed a law allowing residents to plug solar panels directly into residential outlets, becoming the first state in the nation to implement "plug-in solar." This bill (HB 340), championed by State Representative Raymond Ward, received unanimous bipartisan support last year and aims to reduce the cost of home solar energy use. Ward stated that the inspiration came from the increasingly popular "balcony solar" trend in Europe, particularly in Germany, where such devices have significantly increased the grid's solar capacity in a short period.
According to Bright Saver, a plug-in solar advocacy group, since the passage of the Utah bill, over 30 states and the District of Columbia have drafted similar legislation. Maine has signed a related bill into law, bills in Colorado and Maryland have passed both legislative chambers, and efforts are also advancing in Virginia, Hawaii, and elsewhere. However, U.S. consumers currently cannot purchase such products in retail stores because uniform safety certification standards are still lacking.
The bill requires Underwriters Laboratories (UL) to develop testing standards for plug-in solar panels. UL has published a white paper assessing potential risks to systems and home wiring and has established product-level requirements. No system has yet received UL certification, but the first products are expected to hit the market soon. The bill also stipulates that system power must not exceed 1200 watts and that users cannot receive compensation for feeding electricity back into the grid. Josh Craft, an official with the Utah Clean Energy organization, tested a system donated by EcoFlow at his home and estimates it could reduce his electricity bill by about 10%.
Ward stated that he has recently communicated with legislators from states including Hawaii, Washington, Minnesota, and Colorado to share Utah's experience. This "plug-in solar" movement is expected to further promote the development of distributed energy in the United States.
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