Plug-in Solar Guide August Updates

It’s been a while since I have posted here, so I wanted to share some updates on what I have been up to. The biggest update is that I have quit my job to work on Plug-In Solar Guide full time. I wrote briefly about that decision on LinkedIn.

As I mentioned in that post, I have been taking a little over a month off of work except for one day per week working on Plug-In Solar Guide, and some exceptions for important meetings. Despite this self-imposed limitation, I have been able to make some progress on the site.

Current Priorities

Keep Legislative Tracker Up to Date

During this month of semi-vacation, one of my main priorities is making sure the data is up to date. There are a few state legislatures that have passed plug-in solar bills that are still waiting on signatures, and a few states that have advanced or introduced bills that still have time in the legislative session to progress the bills. I’ll be keeping an eye on these states for any updates.

Build State-Specific Guides

Another priority is building out state-specific guides. You will see links to these under the “Passed into Law” section for states with active plug-in solar laws. Currently, there are guides for Utah, Maryland, Vermont, and Maine. I’ll be working on the other states with active laws soon.

These pages are important because the laws differ enough that what one person can or can’t do with regard to plug-in solar does not translate to other states. The laws can be confusing, especially when compared to the current set of products on the market. For example, as far as I can tell, no product qualifies for the protections under the Vermont and Maine laws because they require system-level UL 3700 certifications, which have not been issued yet. That does not necessarily mean it is “illegal” to install plug-in solar, but you would not qualify for any of the protections the law offers because no system would meet the definition of a “Plug-in photovoltaic device”. Some manufacturers might still ship you a product, and if you are using products that are designed for unregulated states (for example, they prevent electricity from being backfed to the grid), then you still may be able to install, but expect more hurdles than you would in a state like Utah.

Expand Products Catalog

When I started this site, Utah was the only state that had passed a plug-in solar law, so my products section was sparse. It still is, but I have added two solar panels. The “Callsun 200W Bifacial Solar Panel (2-Pack)” works with the “STREAM Microinverter” and the “STREAM Ultra” and is a good fit if you live in Utah and are building a smaller system. For the “EZ1-LV Plug-In Microinverter”, I am recommending the “Callsun 450W Bifacial Solar Panel (2-Pack)”, which would max out the 900W limit on the inverter. There are still gaps in the products I have listed. I’d like to add an inverter with a 391W limit because that is the limit for the lower tier in many states. I also want to add a 400W panel to max out the EcoFlow inverter with 3 panels. Ultimately, adding more products gives you more of a choice and flexibility to build a system that meets your situation, but it creates more complexity in determining what products work together. This leads me to my future updates.

Future Updates

System Designer

A feature that I’d like to add soon is something I am calling the “System Designer”. Right now, plug-in solar kits exist, but other products are sold à la carte. As I’ve started to research solar panels, I’ve realized that figuring out what panels work with which inverters is more complex than I thought. I have some experience with a portable battery and solar panel that I bought together, and in the portable category, the batteries are designed to accept a wide voltage range to be easy to use. Plug-in solar inverters are slightly less straightforward, and designing a system is somewhere between buying a portable system and designing a DIY/Off-Grid/Camper Van system. The system designer will make it super easy for people to choose products that work well together from all the options. I also want people to be able to input specs for a used solar panel they buy from somewhere else. I think the used market will be huge in allowing people to put together a system that has a reasonable payoff period.

Payoff Calculator

Related to the above, I want to make it easy for people to get an estimate of how long their system will take to pay for itself. There are a few of these calculators online, but I want to build one that can use the products on my site in combination with user-inputted products (again thinking about the case where you buy an inverter, then pair it with used panels).

New Marketing Channels

This site will only be financially viable if I can reach a large number of people. I am planning on starting an email newsletter and experimenting with YouTube, and I am scheduled for a podcast interview.

Install Systems and Free Consulting

An important thing for all startups to do is to really understand their customers’/users’ needs. For me, I think the best way to do this is to help people design and install systems. As a renter in CO, the renter provisions of the law don’t kick in until January 1st, but homeowners in Colorado can already install systems under the new law. I’m hoping to help people in Colorado design and install systems for free because I believe it is the best way to learn what obstacles people are facing and then share those insights on my site for everyone. The ideal person for me to work with right now is someone who lives in Boulder County, Colorado, owns their home, has no HOA (or a permissive one), and is not a good fit for rooftop solar (roof needs to be replaced soon, too shady, does not want to make the investment, etc.). If that sounds like you, send me an email or message on LI. If you don’t live in Colorado, I am still happy to help with research and design, just won’t be able to travel to your home for the install. My priority right now is to learn about my users and find a scalable business model, so I can offer this service for free. I’ll earn my usual commission if you end up buying products listed on my site, but if there are products not on my site yet that are a better fit, I am happy to include those in the design.