Why Balcony Solar Panels Haven’t Taken Off in the US

Balcony solar systems feature one or two small photovoltaic panels and a microinverter and generate enough power to charge a laptop or power a small fridge.

They’re popular in Germany , where they’ve registered more than 780,000 of the devices with the country’s utility regulator as of December .

The U.S. has yet to take the first step of creating a safety standard for the technology.

The lack of an Underwriters Laboratories (UL) standard is perhaps the biggest obstacle to the adoption of balcony solar.

Germany developed standards that limit balcony solar units to just 800 watts, about half the amount used by a hair dryer.

There are no certified GFCI outlets in the US designed for use with devices that consume power, like a blender, and those that generate it.

The National Electrical Code does not allow for the installation of plug-in energy systems like balcony solar.

The code is updated every three years , with the next iteration due later this year for the 2026 edition.

Every one of recommendations for amending the code was rejected in October .

The National Fire Protection Association will continue to pursue other avenues to amend the codes.