What the law says
SB 868 exempts qualifying portable solar devices from utility interconnection requirements once the law takes effect. The California legislature records its signing on September 30, 2026 and its chaptering by the Secretary of State. Bright Saver lists January 1, 2027 as the effective date, while the official bill text does not specify an effective date.
The legislature’s text sets a maximum aggregated output of 1,200 W AC per dwelling, not a panel DC wattage limit. It requires certification of the plug-in photovoltaic system by Underwriters Laboratories or an equivalent nationally recognized testing laboratory. Bright Saver describes this as requiring UL 3700, but the official text does not name UL 3700 specifically.
Your utility may require you to register the device, with its address, make, model and size, through a simple online form. For qualifying devices, the law removes interconnection-agreement requirements, prohibits requiring utility approval before installation or use, and bans charges related to the device or electricity it feeds into the building. These provisions do not establish an export payment or specify renter and HOA protections.
- The system must meet the most recent National Electrical Code and California Electrical Code.
- The device must include an isolation feature to prevent backfeeding during an outage.
- The exemption section is scheduled for repeal on January 1, 2030.
Before you buy in California
Check the utility’s requirements and the complete system’s certification before buying; fitting the wattage cap alone is not enough. Until the exemption takes effect, do not treat SB 868 as permission to connect. Ask your utility about applicable requirements now and its notification or registration process under the new law.
Check your lease and ask your landlord or HOA about mounting and use of the intended space. The provisions described above do not establish an unconditional right to install on a rented balcony or HOA-controlled property. On the product label and certification documentation, look for certification of the complete plug-in photovoltaic system, not just a seller’s inverter-standard claim.
The calculator gives 811 kWh in a typical year for an 800 W panel kit with an 800 W inverter, mounted vertically facing south near California’s population center. With a 164 W home base load, 471 kWh is used at home and 340 kWh goes to the grid; at the EIA rate of 33.25 cents/kWh, that home use is worth $157 a year, assuming no export payment. The same kit tilted at 30° produces 1,354 kWh and saves $189 a year in the calculator; use the address calculator for your location.
- EcoFlow STREAM packages with 400 W or 800 W of panels: inverter output up to 1,200 W AC fits the cap; the seller names UL 1741, but UL 3700 status is not published.
- Mango Power S kit with 1,200 W of panels: inverter output up to 1,200 W AC fits the cap; UL 3700 status is not published.
- Compare these in the kit listings, but verify full-system certification separately before treating a kit as qualifying.
