California made plug-in solar easier to access, but for renters — a large share of its main market — a landlord's objections could still stand between them and cheaper electricity. 

The new law, which removes utility approval requirements for small systems, offers no explicit protection for tenants' installation rights.

Here's what to know

The Plug and Play Solar Act sets a threshold for bypassing utility permission: certified panels must be under 1,200 watts, according to the Los Angeles Times. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the measure, which takes effect in January.

Lower weight and greater portability than traditional systems help make balcony solar attractive to apartment residents. The panels also require neither roof access nor costly installation.

The utility exemption leaves a separate issue unsettled: whether tenants can proceed when a landlord objects.

"It's a bit of an open question," Joseph Kaatz, a senior staff attorney with the Energy Policy Initiatives Center at the University of San Diego's law school, told the Los Angeles Times.

For residents exploring their options, Palmetto is running an exclusive offer for Southern California residents that allows customers to save an average of 40% on their electric bills with $0 down.

More background

Kaatz pointed the Los Angeles Times to an existing safeguard for homeowners: California's Solar Rights Act, which dates to the 1970s and protects against unreasonable solar restrictions.

Renters lack equally clear protections because the act was written for homeowners. During the rooftop solar boom of the 2000s, it helped settle conflicts with homeowner associations.

Tenant notification was the Southern California Rental Housing Association's concern when it opposed the plug-in solar bill: Residents could connect devices without telling property owners. Landlord organizations are weighing their responses.

"The law doesn't specifically address rental housing," spokesperson Tanya Mannes Castaneda said, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Air-conditioning savings require a substantially larger setup than many other apartment uses, according to CraftStrom co-founder Michael Scherer. He told the Los Angeles Times that he recommends a kit rated for at least 3,000 to 4,000 watts for meaningful cooling savings, while a 400-watt panel could power a standard-size refrigerator or many other apartment appliances.

What's being done?

A proposed federal bill would require states to protect renters' access to balcony solar, the Los Angeles Times reported. Some states already provide safeguards. New Jersey pairs a ban on landlord prohibitions with requirements that tenants give notice and follow reasonable limits on panel size and placement; Colorado, Virginia, and Vermont have similar provisions.

The Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles may seek to amend California's law. Its executive director, Daniel Yukelson, reads the law as permitting tenant installations.

For Southern California residents considering home solar, Palmetto's $0-down offer removes an upfront-cost hurdle. With Palmetto's help, the average Southern California resident can save 40% on their electric bills, which can add up to thousands of dollars per year.

For California renters hoping to access the benefits of solar with these smaller systems, there may still be more work to do. 

"If landlords start to restrict portable solar in California, we'll simply have to go back to the Legislature and expand the state's Solar Rights Act," Bernadette Del Chiaro, who works with the Environmental Working Group, told the Los Angeles Times. "Since landlords don't pay the utility bill for their tenants most of the time, it is unreasonable for them to place burdensome restrictions on their tenants."

Where can I learn more?

California is easing utility approval rules for plug-in solar, but renters there and elsewhere still face questions about landlord permission. 

• California's plug-in solar law could help renters save up to $450 a year.

• New Jersey lets renters and condo owners install plug-in solar without utility approval.

• A California DIYer's $1,200 plug-in solar setup approached 1,200 watts while legislation awaited signature.

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