Vermont state legislators were joined by advocacy groups this week to launch an effort to get legislation passed that would allow plug-in solar in the state.
Plug-in solar is also known as portable or balcony solar. It is used extensively in Europe and allows users to plug a certified system into a wall outlet to generate energy.
Vermont Public Interest Research Group Climate & Energy Program Director Ben Edgerly Walsh says they have been working to make solar more accessible.
“These small systems can plug straight into an exterior wall outlet and you can have solar the day that you bring it home,” Edgerly Walsh explained. “That is an enormous benefit relative to traditional solar. And our hope is that ultimately thousands of Vermonters who right now don’t have options will be able to go solar this way and save money on their electric bills while cutting carbon pollution.”
Vermont Natural Resources Council Energy and Climate Program Director Johanna Miller works with town energy committees across the state.
“I think we all know that this is a challenging moment for clean energy in our country, to put it lightly. Thankfully we have a commitment from Vermonters that has been long and strong to clean energy and I believe that there’s going to be significant interest in this new technology,” Miller said.
About half the towns in the state have community energy committees. Linda Gray has served on Norwich’s committee since 2008.
“We’ve typically highlighted solar as the last step in a home energy transformation given that it often comes with a pretty high upfront cost that can be a hurdle. But portable solar changes that up,” noted Gray. “It’s so much less expensive. It’s flexible. It offers an opportunity to a lot of Vermonters who either rent or may not be ready or able to make a big investment.”
Anne Watson, chair of the Vermont Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy, plans to introduce legislation in January to update regulations to allow plug-in solar and make it as easy as possible for people to obtain and use the solar devices.
“Right now if someone were to purchase one of these units and plug it into the wall they would need to go through the same process as if they were putting in a system ten times as large. This bill will clear the way so that residents need only notify their distribution utilities, their electric companies, that now, they have one of these systems,” Watson said.
If the legislation is passed, Vermont would be the second state to authorize plug-in solar. Utah unanimously passed legislation that was signed into law in March becoming the first state to create a legal framework allowing plug-in solar.
