Pillar · Technical
How plug-in balcony solar actually works
Plug-in solar isn't a smaller version of rooftop solar. It's a different class of equipment with its own safety standard, its own size cap, and its own grid-interaction rules. HB 395 codifies all three.
AC cap
1,200 W
Standard
UL 3700
Inverter
Microinverter
Safety
Anti-islanding
Articles in this pillar
UL 3700 certification explained
What the standard tests for, how it differs from UL 1741, and why HB 395 requires it for every compliant system.
5 min read
Why 1,200 W AC, and not more?
The technical and policy reasoning behind the cap — and how it compares to limits in Germany and Utah.
Coming soon
Anti-islanding: how plug-in solar stays safe
The mechanism that disconnects your system within milliseconds of a utility outage, protecting line workers.
6 min read
Microinverters vs. string inverters
Every compliant plug-in system uses a microinverter. Here's what that means and why.
Coming soon