Mike Yu
Founder · Irvine, California
Mike Yu started SmallSolarCo after working out that a plug-in panel was the only kind of solar available to him — he rents in Irvine with a west-facing balcony and no roof of his own. He is not an electrician, a solar installer, or a lawyer, and the site says so wherever it matters. He has a background building web products, and built the savings model here himself, using NREL irradiance data and Southern California Edison's published rates.
Since September 2026 he has been running a plug-in kit on that balcony and logging what it actually produces. Every measured figure on this site comes from that kit. Everything else is labelled as an estimate.
Editorial independence
We don't accept review units on terms that involve anyone approving the review first. If a manufacturer sends us a kit, we say so on the review, and we keep the right to publish a bad one.
Reach him at hello@smallsolarco.com.
Everything with this byline34
The federal solar tax credit is gone. Here's what that does to the math
Section 25D ended for expenditures after 31 December 2025. Any 2026 solar pricing still subtracting 30% is wrong. What it means for plug-in kits.
Germany has a million of these. What California can and can't copy
Germany registered around 435,000 plug-in solar systems in a year. The rules that made it happen, and the three that California didn't copy.
We put a plug-in solar kit on an Irvine balcony. Here's what we're measuring
One kit, one west-facing balcony, and a logger. What we're measuring, what we expect, and what we'll publish even if it makes our model look wrong.
Why 'no backup power' surprises every first-time buyer
Plug-in solar shuts off the instant the grid does — by law, to protect line workers. Not reduced power. None. What to buy if you want backup.
SB 868: what happens between now and January
The Governor has until 30 September. Then a certification scramble, then an effective date. What each stage means if you're thinking about buying a kit.
The one question every solar calculator forgets to ask
Whether someone's home during the day changes your solar savings by up to 40%. It's the biggest lever in the model and no calculator asks about it.
Utah went first. What happened after HB 340
Utah legalised plug-in solar in March 2025 with the same 1,200W cap California is proposing. What the first US market tells us about what's coming.
What UL 3700 is, and why almost nothing is certified yet
UL 3700 is the safety standard SB 868 effectively requires. It launched in January 2026, and complete kits are still catching up. What to look for.
Balcony solar in Irvine
Irvine is majority-renter, HOA-dense, and on SCE. What a plug-in panel saves here by which way your balcony faces, and who you'll need to ask.
Balcony solar in Santa Ana
Santa Ana is majority-renter with lower median incomes than the county, which makes a $285 starter kit a better fit here than a $2,000 battery system.
Balcony solar in Tustin
Tustin sits between Irvine and Santa Ana in every respect — housing mix, renter share, and HOA density. Same SCE rates, same sun, fewer obstacles.
Energía solar de balcón en Santa Ana
Santa Ana es mayoritariamente de inquilinos, con ingresos por debajo del promedio del condado. Aquí conviene un equipo inicial de $285, no una batería.
¿Cuánto ahorra la energía solar de balcón en California?
Entre $95 y $564 al año, según la orientación, la inclinación, y si alguien está en casa durante el día. Con los cálculos a la vista.
¿Es legal la energía solar de balcón en California?
La ley SB 868 pasó la Legislatura el 26 de agosto de 2026 y espera la firma del Gobernador antes del 30 de septiembre. Qué hace y qué no hace.
Plug-in solar for small businesses
A shop open during the day uses nearly all of what a panel makes, where a home uses about 60%. The catch: SB 868 is written around dwelling units.
Plug-in solar, in plain words
Every term you'll hit while reading about balcony solar, explained in a sentence or two. Watts, kilowatt-hours, microinverters, anti-islanding, UL 3700.
You already have rooftop solar. Read this first
If you have rooftop solar on net billing, a plug-in panel probably exports at 5-8 cents instead of saving you 33. Usually not worth it.
Battery or no battery?
A battery raises your annual saving by about 50% and roughly doubles the payback. Worth it if you're out during the day or on a time-of-use plan.
Can your landlord or HOA say no?
Yes, your landlord probably can. Your HOA is a genuinely open question — the Solar Rights Act was written for roofs and has never been tested on balconies.
How much does balcony solar actually save in California?
Between $95 and $564 a year depending on direction, tilt, and whether anyone's home. Every figure with the arithmetic shown.
Is plug-in solar safe? What the fire officials and UL actually said
Firefighters and electrical workers opposed SB 868 on genuine engineering grounds. Here's their argument, the answer, and what it means for you.
Plug-in solar for California renters: the start-here guide
You rent, you have no roof, and your SCE bill keeps climbing. Everything you need to know about plug-in solar, assuming you know nothing about solar.
Will it work with time-of-use rates?
Solar makes power at midday; utilities charge most from 4pm to 9pm. What that gap does to your savings, and how to close it.
What's in a kit, and what you'll also need to buy
Kits are sold as if they arrive complete. They rarely do. Here's what's in the box, what isn't, and what the extras cost.
Which way does your balcony face, and why it decides everything
A north-facing panel makes a third of what a south-facing one makes. Direction and tilt matter more than which kit you buy or what you spend.
How plug-in solar actually works
A panel, a small converter, and a normal wall outlet. How balcony solar feeds your home, why surplus power is worth nothing, and what a battery changes.
Is plug-in solar legal in California yet?
SB 868 passed the Legislature on 26 August 2026 and awaits the Governor's signature by 30 September. What it does, what it doesn't, and what to do now.
Compare plug-in solar kits for California
Every plug-in solar kit shipping to California, with prices, certification status, and who each one suits. Updated as the catalogue changes.
How we work out the savings
The irradiance data, orientation factors, self-consumption assumptions and rate figures behind every number on this site. Including what we don't model.
Is it worth it for someone like me?
Fourteen common situations and a straight verdict for each — north-facing renters, home workers, café owners, people who already have rooftop solar.
Plug-in solar on Pacific Gas & Electric
PG&E's average residential rate is around 39.25¢/kWh. What a plug-in panel saves across Northern California, where sun varies more than in the south.
Plug-in solar on Southern California Edison
SCE's average residential rate is 34.4¢/kWh. What a plug-in panel saves on SCE, how TOU-D-4-9PM changes it, and what registration will involve.
Plug-in solar on San Diego Gas & Electric
SDG&E's residential rates are among the highest in the country at around 45.7¢/kWh, which makes a plug-in panel worth about 38% more than on SCE.
What it costs, and why it's so much less than a roof
Plug-in solar kits run $285 to $2,400 in California. Where rooftop solar's $25,000 actually goes, and whether to buy now or wait for certification.