In German, both home-owners and renters have taken advantage of plug-in solar systems – Image: Joko/imageBROKER/dpa/picture alliance
Americans are embracing easy, plug‑and‑play solar units that slash energy costs — even as Washington tries to slow the clean‑energy shift.
DIY solar systems have boomed in Germany and across Europe in recent years, with solar panels showing up on balconies and in backyards.
Now, with energy costs rising and the price of wind and solar power plummeting worldwide, Americans are also looking to generate their own electricity and save money — despite Donald Trump’s anti-renewables push.
So far, Utah — which backed Trump for president in 2024 — is the only state to have passed the necessary regulatory reforms to exempt smaller systems under 1,200 watts from rules designed for larger rooftop models. Vermont and Virginia have also recently advanced similar bills with near-unanimous support, from both Democrats and Republicans.
“We have witnessed a tremendous snowball effect of states introducing plug-in-friendly legislation over the past few months and just crossed the threshold of such legislation now being introduced in more than half of all US states,” Rupert Mayer, co-founder of Bright Saver, a nonprofit vendor based in San Francisco, told DW.
‘Americans are eager for more options to go solar’
Plug-in solar systems, one or two panels with power inverters that connect to a standard electrical outlet, are less expensive — 80–97% less than traditional rooftop installations, according to Bright Saver. And they don’t require a technician to install.
Once set up, they reduce the amount of electricity that users take from the grid, generating enough to power small appliances like the fridge, washing machine or computer.
Recent US polls point to an appetite for solar as part of the US energy mix – Image: Mario Tama/Getty Images
A basic two-panel kit from Bright Saver costs around $2,400 (€2,032); in Germany, a starter kit can be picked up for as little as €349. Compared with rooftop systems, which can cost 10 times as much in the US, the savings are likely to be the deciding factor for many Americans.
“Renters and residents of apartment buildings in particular deserve options to lower costs and access clean energy the same way homeowners can access rooftop solar,” said California, Senator Scott Wiener, introducing a bill to streamline the approval process for plug-in systems in in his state in January.
“Americans are eager for more options to go solar. What we need for the market for plug-in solar to take off is for states to cut red tape that is holding plug-in solar back,” said Ben Delman, editorial director of Solar United Neighbors, an advocacy nonprofit based in Washington D.C. “Once this happens, we expect the market to grow as it has in Germany.”
More than 1 million plug-in devices in Germany
Commercial plug-in solar panels have been circulating in Germany since at least 2010, but have only begun to see widespread adoption in recent years. That popularity was driven in part by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the move away from Russian gas.
More than 400,000 new balcony systems were registered in 2024, representing 2.6%, or 0.4 gigawatts, of Germany’s new solar capacity that year.
The total number of plug-in installations reached 1 million in June 2025. But the Bundesnetzagentur, which regulates Germany’s electricity networks, said the actual number of installations was likely higher, as not all balcony panels are registered.
The solar tech, which limits feed-in power to 800 watts, is now available across much of the EU, with financial support mechanisms in countries like Germany, Austria and Lithuania.
Utah has paved the way for smaller-scale solar units, despite White House resistance to renewables – Image: Jon G. Fuller/VW Pics/IMAGO
‘Economics make sense’ for many in US
For now, the growth of plug-in solar in the US is being held back by an expensive, time-consuming approval process.
But Mayer is optimistic, outlining in an email the changes that states are aiming to introduce: legislation and regulations tailored for smaller, personal systems, new safety standards, changes to building codes and permits and updates to homeowners’ and renters’ rights. These developments, he said, could help plug-in solar to expand at the local level even with widespread cuts to federal renewable funding by the Trump administration.
“We believe that the bleakness of all things renewable energy at the federal level is one of the factors that make plug-in solar so attractive and popular in this moment, even across the highly divided political spectrum,” he said. “This is something that citizens can do at the hyperlocal level, and state lawmakers can enable it without spending any taxpayer money.”
“The economics make sense,” said Delman, of Solar United Neighbors. “We project a roughly five-year payback period today once the regulations change. This should drop rapidly as more state markets open.”
Mayer added that initial demand in states with high electricity prices, like California, would help bring down prices and make plug-in solar more attractive in other markets.
DW.com/NAN 27-2-26
You might also like:
GLOBAL ISSUES: Is sustainable travel possible in times of mass tourism?
Travel can drive overtourism, contribute to climate change and support problematic political systems. Yet the industry also creates livelihoods and fosters exchange. Travel can sometimes place us in a moral dilemma. A sense of unease may arise from everyday more…
