Is Plug-In Solar Legal in Colorado?
Yes. Colorado passed a plug-in solar law: HB 26-1007, an act concerning measures to improve a customer’s ability to use distributed energy resources, effective August 12, 2026. Qualifying portable solar devices up to 1,920 W can plug into a standard outlet with no utility approval and no fees. A lower 391 W threshold applies for the small-device exemption.
View Recommended ProductsColorado Plug-In Solar: Key Facts
What HB 26-1007 allows and requires for portable solar generation devices.
Your utility
- ✓No utility approval needed before you install or use the system
- ℹYour utility can require a notice of the device and its size in kilowatts
- ✓No utility fees allowed for the system
- ✓Exempt from interconnection requirements and agreements
- ℹNot part of the net metering program (offsets your own use)
- ℹThe utility is not liable for damage or injury caused by the device
How to notify your utility
Whether you need to send a notice at all is up to your utility, so check before you install. If yours does not offer any guidance, send an email with the size of the device in kilowatts.
Other Colorado requirements
- ℹThe law covers a single device per address, and you cannot run more than one device off a single wall outlet.
- ℹThe installation has to follow fire code and the local building codes that cover health and safety.
- ℹThe law does not set up any payment for power a device sends to the grid, so the savings come from the power you use yourself.
Renter, HOA & local rules
- ℹRenter protections start January 1, 2027. From that date nobody can unreasonably prohibit installing, using, or operating a plug-in solar device, and a covenant or restriction that does is void. A landlord can still set reasonable conditions, such as asking for notice before you install, saying where the device goes, and requiring steps that prevent fire or an overloaded circuit. Until that date the landlord decides, so get permission in writing.
- ℹHOA protections start January 1, 2027 as well. From that date a covenant or restriction that unreasonably prohibits or restricts a plug-in solar device is unenforceable, and a device counts as an energy efficiency measure, the same category Colorado already uses for heat pumps and clotheslines. In a condo or a similar community, that means you can put a device on a patio, deck, or balcony that serves only your unit. The association can require you to secure it properly and can hold you responsible for the costs, the upkeep, and any liability.
What HB 26-1007 Means for You
Colorado set clear rules for plug-in solar in HB 26-1007, which Governor Polis signed on May 7, 2026, making Colorado the fourth state to pass a plug-in solar law, after Utah, Maine, and Virginia. The rules took effect on August 12, 2026. Plug-in solar means a small system you can set up yourself: panels and an inverter that plug into a regular outlet, rather than a rooftop array wired into your electrical panel. Colorado allows one device per address at up to 1,920 watts, a higher cap than the 1,200 watts allowed in Utah, Maryland, Vermont, and Maine. Most of the act deals with other equipment for rooftop solar and batteries, so the plug-in solar rules sit in one section of it.
The benefit of the law is that you can buy a device and plug it in without asking anyone. Your utility cannot require its approval, cannot charge you a fee for the device, and cannot make you add controls or equipment beyond what comes in the box, though it can require a notice of the device and its size in kilowatts. Nothing in the law pays you for the power a device sends to the grid, so the savings come from the power you use as you generate it.
If you rent, or live in a condo or an HOA, the date to watch is January 1, 2027. That is when the protections start: from then, a covenant or restriction that unreasonably prohibits a device is void, and a device counts as an energy efficiency measure, so a condo association has to allow one on a patio, deck, or balcony that serves only your unit. Landlords and associations can still set reasonable conditions and can make you carry the costs and the liability, and until that date the property owner decides, so get permission in writing first. That date also changes what stores can sell, since a device over 391 watts then has to be UL labeled and listed to be sold, leased, or rented in Colorado.
- Colorado passed a plug-in solar law. HB 26-1007 has been in effect since August 12, 2026.
- You can run one device per address, up to 1,920 watts of output to the grid, and no more than one device on a single wall outlet.
- The device plugs into a regular wall outlet instead of being wired into your electrical panel.
- It has to be labeled and listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory, and it has to shut off during a power outage so it cannot energize the grid.
- Your utility cannot require its approval before you install or use the device, charge you a fee for it, or make you add controls or equipment beyond what comes with it. It can require a notice of the device and its size in kilowatts.
- A device at or under 391 watts is exempt from Colorado’s solar installation requirements and from building safety code or product listing rules that would require changes to the building’s wiring.
- From January 1, 2027, a device over 391 watts cannot be sold, leased, or rented in Colorado unless it is UL labeled and listed.
- From January 1, 2027, nobody can unreasonably prohibit a plug-in solar device, and an HOA covenant or deed restriction that does is void. Reasonable conditions, such as advance notice and where the device goes, are still allowed.
- The installation has to follow fire code and local building codes that cover health and safety.
Solar Payback Calculator
Estimate how long a plug-in solar system takes to pay for itself in Colorado. Enter your ZIP code to get started.
See your solar savings
Enter your ZIP code to calculate personalized payback estimates based on local solar data and electricity rates.
The links below are affiliate links for EcoFlow, APsystems, Current Connected, and Amazon. I earn a commission at no extra cost to you, which helps support the site. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Recommended Products
Plug-in solar products available for purchase in Colorado. These systems automatically shut off during outages as required by HB 26-1007.
EZ1-LV Plug-In Microinverter
Purpose-built plug-in solar. No complexity. Just works.
Skip the complexity of multi-input systems. EZ1-LV is designed to do one thing really well—efficiently power two panels with true dual MPPT and a clean plug-and-play setup. No oversizing, no guesswork—just reliable performance you can plug into your home outlet and start using right away. Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth make setup and monitoring simple, with no installer required.
Buy NowAvailable in: US · UL 1741
Callsun 200W Bifacial Solar Panel (2-Pack)
Pairs with the EcoFlow STREAM series
A 2-pack of 200W N-type bifacial panels. Pairs with the EcoFlow STREAM Microinverter or STREAM Ultra. Each panel fits cleanly into one of the inverter's PV inputs, with room to add more panels as your setup grows. The APsystems EZ1-LV is designed for larger panels (315W and up), so for that inverter see the Callsun 450W panel.
Buy NowAvailable in: US
Callsun 450W Bifacial Solar Panel (2-Pack)
Pairs with the APsystems EZ1-LV
A 2-pack of 450W N-type bifacial panels. One panel goes to each input on the APsystems EZ1-LV, using both of its independent MPPT channels for a 900W array that matches the inverter's 900W output. These panels are not compatible with the EcoFlow STREAM Microinverter or the STREAM Ultra. Both of those inverters cap each input at 14A, and this panel puts out 14.97A at its maximum power point, so it exceeds the rated input current. Check your mounting surface before ordering: each panel is 69.4 x 44.7 inches and weighs 54 lbs.
Buy NowAvailable in: US
IntegraRack IR-30 Ground Mount Frame
Durable ground mount for a yard array
A durable ground mount for anyone with yard space to spare. The aluminum frame sets a panel at a fixed 30° tilt, the right angle almost anywhere in the contiguous US, and stands up to serious wind and snow once anchored. No rails, augers, or concrete footings, and each frame goes together in about two minutes. The price is per frame, and you need one per panel plus one extra to start each row, so a two panel array takes three.
Buy NowAvailable in: US
Want to see where plug-in solar stands in other states? View the interactive map, compare laws, or browse advocacy resources.
This page summarizes HB 26-1007 for general information and is not legal advice. Verify details with your utility and the official bill text before installing.