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I tried plug-in solar and loved it—but there’s a catch

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I tried plug-in solar and loved it—but there’s a catch

Getting solar installed on your roof typically involves weeks of planning and red tape and hiring an installation crew to do the work. I tried a very different option: a plug-in solar panel. Like the name implies, installing it essentially just means plugging it into an outdoor wall yourself. Then power starts flowing back into your house.

A single panel, of course, generates a tiny fraction of what you’d get from a full rooftop system. But it’s still a simple way to begin to offset your electric bill, and it’s something that renters can use, not just homeowners. This year, states have started rolling out a wave of new laws designed to clear the way for plug-in solar. I wanted to see how easy it was to use.

I tested a kit from Bright Saver, a nonprofit that advocates for plug-in solar. The 180-watt solar panel is somewhat large, at 4 by 3 feet, but lightweight and easy to move. You can attach it to a wall or fence, or buy a small separate stand so it can sit at an angle on the ground. In the back, the panel plugs into an inverter, a small box that converts the current from the solar panels into electricity that you can use in your house. The inverter plugs into the wall.

Unlike portable solar panels designed for camping, which typically work with a battery, this system is designed to sync with the grid, pushing current into your outlet at the exact frequency and voltage of the grid signal.


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