Megan Hall: Welcome to Possibly. Where we take on huge problems, like the future of our planet, and break them down into small questions with unexpected answers. I’m Megan Hall.
Solar panels can help you power your home with renewable energy and save money on your electric bill. But they can be expensive, and take a while to set up.
Today, Juliana Merullo from our Possibly team is here to tell us about another option– plug-in solar panels.
Juliana Merullo: Hiya Megan!
Megan Hall: So what exactly is plug-in solar?
Juliana Merullo: Plug-in solar, which is also called balcony solar, is just what it sounds like. You plug solar panels into a small inverter, which then gets plugged into an outlet in your house. Instead of using electricity like most things you plug into the wall, this system generates it!
Megan Hall: Do these panels really work?
Juliana Merullo: They do! They’re a lot smaller than a conventional rooftop solar system, so they don’t generate as much electricity. It’s not going to power your whole home or apartment, but an average sized system that gets good sunlight during the day could power your refrigerator and save you over a hundred dollars a year on electricity costs.
Megan Hall: Ok, but that’s not that much. Why are people so excited about these?
Juliana Merullo: Well for one thing, plug-in solar panels are a lot cheaper than regular rooftop solar. And they’re a lot easier and faster to set up. Ben Paulos, a researcher with the Clean Energy States Alliance, says that on top of that,
Ben Paulos: A number of people can’t really do rooftop solar. They don’t own the roof. You know, if you are a renter, or if you live in an apartment building…a portable kit that you can move with you when you move one apartment to another is a good idea.
Megan Hall: That makes sense. But is it actually safe to just plug these panels into the wall?
Juliana Merullo: Yeah, it is! Most of the safety concerns get figured out between the manufacturer and the testing labs that certify the panels. Keep an eye out for UL labels, which mean your panel and inverter have been tested and certified as safe. Then, Ben says you just want to be careful where you plug them in.
Ben Paulos: You really don’t want to plug in your solar system into a circuit that’s already very busy and very crowded, like kitchens tend to use a lot of electricity, so you may not want to plug it into your kitchen.
Juliana Merullo: When he bought plug-in panels for his home, he plugged them into the garage.
Ben Paulos: I bought some used panels on Facebook Marketplace. And then my son hoisted those panels up to me on my garage roof and I plugged it in.
Megan Hall: So I can just go out and buy them? Why don’t more people have them?
Juliana Merullo: It depends where you live! In Germany you can find them at IKEA, and almost a million of them have been installed. In the US, it’s just starting to gain traction. It’s not technically illegal anywhere, and you can find the panels online. But only 9 states have laws that officially allow it. To make sure you don’t get in trouble with your utility company, it’s smart to wait until your state has passed a bill allowing it.
Ben Paulos: If you’re in one of the 10 states that has passed legislation, then you’re probably going to be good to go as soon as that takes effect. If you’re not, then maybe you want to call your state legislature and ask them when it’s going to happen.
Megan Hall: What about here in Rhode Island?
Juliana Merullo: Well just this year, State Representative June Speakman introduced a bill that would allow Rhode Islanders to use plug-in solar without needing the utility company’s approval.
June Speakman: This was one of the most popular pieces of legislation that I had ever introduced, this was a love fest. Everyone thinks these are fabulous, I mean, I was getting emails. Please make sure this passes. Please make sure this passes.
Juliana Merullo: It passed unanimously in the House, but got held up in the Senate. June is going to re-introduce it next session and she thinks it has a good chance of becoming law.
Megan Hall: So if it does, should I go out and buy plug-in panels for my house?
Juliana Merullo: Yes! The impact of these panels might be small, but they still make a difference:
June Speakman: You know some people describe it as a feel good bill. Sure, makes me feel good, but it also does those two things, right? It brings us a little bit more into a cleaner, greener future, and it does bring costs down.
Juliana Merullo: There are over 20 other states like Rhode Island that are considering plug-in solar bills. So we’ll have to keep an eye out for more of these systems to be popping up all over the country!
Megan Hall: Great! Thanks Juliana. That’s it for today.
For more information, or to ask a question about the way your choices affect our planet go to askpossibly.org. You can also subscribe to Possibly wherever you get your podcasts or follow us on social media at “ask possibly”
Possibly is a co-production of Brown University’s Institute for Environment and Society, Ocean State Media and WBRU.
