Connecticut residents who can’t put solar panels on their rooftops could see a new option for going solar. State lawmakers are expected to discuss legalizing small portable solar panels at a public hearing on March 5.
Known as “plug-in solar,” the panels are about a tenth the size of a traditional rooftop solar and plug directly into a standard power outlet, reducing the amount of power a customer gets from their utility.
“The beauty of it is it’s something that the average person could easily install themselves,” said Kenneth Gillingham, professor of environmental and energy economics at Yale University.
“You simply buy it and plug it in and that's it.”
The panels are limited to 1200 watts, which isn’t a ton of power, but it’s enough to charge a laptop or cell phone, run lights or even an energy-efficient refrigerator.
The panels typically cost around $1,000 and can lower energy bills by about 10% with most customers making that cost back within four to five years, Gillingham said.
The panels are popular in Europe, especially in Germany, where electricity rates are higher than Connecticut’s.
Chris Phelps, state director of Environment Connecticut, said the plug-in panels fill a niche for people interested in dipping their toes into solar energy without having to make a large investment up front.
“Our current solar policies and solar programs are really designed right now for people who want to build a 5 kilowatt or 10 kilowatt solar system, something powerful enough to power up an entire home or provide enough electricity to offset your electricity for the year,” he said.
“If you rent a home and you’re not going to necessarily live there for the next 20 years, you’re not going to spend $40,000 to put a solar panel system on that home that you can’t take with you,” he said.
The panels would also play a small role in reducing overall demand from Connecticut’s electric grid and is a step in the right direction to reducing the state’s greenhouse gas footprint, Phelps said. Connecticut is currently not on track to meet its greenhouse gas emission goals as set by the state legislature for 2030, 2040 or 2050.
What’s next?
Lawmakers in Connecticut will first have to legalize the panels by passing a law to establish safety standards and ease red tape measures initially designed for larger rooftop solar panels. If passed, plug-in solar could become legal in Connecticut by October.
More than 20 other states in the country, including many in New England, are also proposing legislation on the issue.
“There's definitely a lot of momentum right now and it's up to states around the country, including here in Connecticut, to have those conversations about how can we make this work,” said Connor Yakaitis, deputy director of Connecticut League of Conservation Voters.
Utah became the first state to legalize plug-in solar last year, receiving bipartisan support from environmental advocates and those seeking energy independence.
“It really is making sense to people across the spectrum,” Phelps said.
“There are the folks who say, ‘I want to be able to generate clean energy, not be dependent on a fossil fuel power plant 50 miles away’ and this gives them a way to do that. But there’s also people who say ‘I want to be independent of the utility’s electric grid to some extent’ and it gives them the ability to do that.”
Áine Pennello is a Report for America corps member, covering the environment and climate change for Connecticut Public
