Quick answers, grouped by topic. Each links to the deeper guide when the short answer isn’t enough.

Legality

Is plug-in solar legal in Utah? Yes. HB 340 was signed March 25, 2025 and took effect May 7, 2025. Systems up to 1,200W AC require no permits, no utility approval, and no interconnection agreement.

Is it legal anywhere else in the US? Not yet — Utah is currently the only US state with full legalization. Bills modeled on HB 340 have been introduced in Vermont, Rhode Island, and a handful of others.

Do I need to register or notify the state? No. There’s no registration requirement. You also don’t need to notify Rocky Mountain Power, though requesting a smart meter is strongly recommended.

What if I exceed 1,200W? You’re outside HB 340’s safe harbor. That means standard interconnection, building permit, electrical permit, RMP application, smart inverter compliance, the whole process. The 1,200W ceiling is the line.

Does HB 340 apply to renters? Yes. The bill doesn’t distinguish between owners and renters. If you have an outdoor outlet you can use, you can run a kit. Check your lease first. Some HOAs and landlords still try to restrict it, though Utah’s HOA solar protections were strengthened separately under HB 119.

Setup and install

How long does the install take? A basic ground-mount install runs about an hour. Roof installs take longer, about a half day on-site. See how it works for the full flow.

Do I need an electrician? No. The kit plugs into a standard outdoor outlet. No wiring, no breaker work. We do offer an optional dedicated circuit install (~$250–500) through our licensed electrical partner if you want a fresh 20A line — but most people don’t need it.

Can I install it myself? That’s the whole point. The kit ships with a bolt-together ground mount, MC4 connector wiring, and a cable that plugs into an outdoor outlet. If you’ve assembled flat-pack furniture, you can install this kit. If you want it on your roof, add the roof install at checkout and we handle it.

Can you install it for me? Yes. Add the roof install at checkout ($1,899 total, kit included) and our crew puts it on your roof. If you’d rather have us ground-set the kit for you, text us when you order and we’ll quote it.

Do I need a south-facing roof? No, but yes ideally. South-facing produces the most. South-east or south-west are nearly as good. Pure east or west loses about 15–20%. North-facing produces about half. The 3 Panel kit’s economics still work even at less-than-ideal orientations because of how RMP’s tier structure prices the kWh you offset.

Can I move it later? Yes. The whole kit unbolts in 30 minutes. Rooftop solar stays with the house when you sell — a plug-in kit doesn’t.

Money

How much does the kit cost? One kit, two ways to buy it, on the buy page. The 3 Panel is $1,299 (1,200W AC, three 460W DMEGC bifacial panels, EcoFlow STREAM microinverter) and you set it up yourself. Add the roof install and our crew mounts it for $1,899. One-time payment, no financing.

Will I get paid for excess power I produce? No. Plug-in solar under HB 340 is offset-only — you save on power you use in real time as it’s generated. Power that flows past your meter to the grid is uncompensated.

What’s the payback period? Roughly 3.6 years for the 3 Panel ground kit at current Rocky Mountain Power rates. Adding the roof install pushes payback to ~5.2 years because of the higher upfront cost. See the savings math for the full breakdown including how rate increases compress the payback.

Are there tax credits? Not anymore. The federal residential solar credit (Section 25D) was killed by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in July 2025, no federal credit for systems installed after Dec 31, 2025. Utah’s state RESTC for residential solar expired in January 2024. Plug-in solar stands on its own economics.

Why is plug-in cheaper than adding a kilowatt to a rooftop system? Because rooftop adds carry fixed costs that don’t scale down — engineering, permits, interconnection, truck rolls, rapid shutdown compliance. Real quotes for adding 1 kW to an existing rooftop array typically come back $3,600+. Plug-in skips every line item in that list.

Rocky Mountain Power

Do I need to tell RMP? HB 340 doesn’t require it. But you do want a bidirectional smart meter before you plug in. RMP installs them for free; the request goes faster than the passive rollout.

How do I request a smart meter? Sign in at rockymountainpower.net, scroll to the footer, click Contact Us, then submit the contact form with Account Inquiries as the subject. Mention that you’re installing a plug-in solar device under HB 340. Full step-by-step with screenshots: RMP onboarding guide.

Is there a fee for the meter? No. Free swap.

How long does it take? Typically 2–6 weeks from request to install.

What if I plug in before the smart meter is installed? Any power you export will register as consumption on the old meter and you’ll be billed for it. Wait for the swap if you can.

I already have rooftop solar with net metering. Can I add a plug-in kit? Probably yes, but the situation gets specific to your account and your grandfathered status. Call RMP before stacking, confirm that the addition won’t disrupt your existing interconnection agreement.

Safety

Is it safe to plug solar into a wall outlet? Yes. The microinverter outputs 120V at up to 10 amps — well under the 15A or 20A capacity of any normal household circuit. Full breakdown in the safety guide.

What about during a power outage? The inverter shuts off automatically. UL 1741 anti-islanding is required by HB 340, line workers are protected. The inverter cannot energize a downed grid.

Will my breaker trip? Only if the circuit is overloaded by something else on the same circuit. Outdoor outlets are usually on their own circuit or share only with other low-use outdoor outlets, so this rarely happens. If it does, unplug the heaviest thing on the circuit or move the kit to a different outdoor outlet.

Are the panels dangerous to touch? No. Panels generate low DC voltage and only produce when sunlight hits them. The plug, cord, and panels are safe to touch. There’s no shock hazard at the panel level.

The technology

What’s the difference between a microinverter and a string inverter? A microinverter is bolted to one or two panels and converts DC to AC right there. A string inverter sits centrally and connects multiple panels in a string. Plug-in kits use microinverters because they’re modular, weatherproof, and individually certified for plug-in use. See the tech explainer for more.

Can I use any solar panel? In principle yes — most modern 300W–500W residential panels work with most microinverters as long as voltage and current ranges match. In practice the matching is finicky enough that we sell pre-matched kits. If you want to build your own, the tech explainer walks through the considerations.

What’s UL 1741? The US safety standard for grid-interactive inverters. It mandates anti-islanding, grid-quality output, and other safety features. HB 340 requires it. All our kits carry the certification.

Does it work in winter? Yes. Cold actually improves panel efficiency. You produce less in winter because of shorter days and lower sun angles, not because the cold hurts performance.

Can I add a battery for backup? Not directly, plug-in kits are grid-tied without storage by design. UL 1741 requires the inverter to shut off when the grid is down. If you want outage backup, a portable battery (EcoFlow Delta, Bluetti AC300) charged from your plug-in kit is the simplest option. Full home battery integration is a separate, much larger project.

Buying and shipping

Where do you deliver? Free delivery throughout northern Utah (Ogden to Provo along I-15) on Tuesdays and Fridays. Outside that area we’ll quote shipping at cost.

How long until I’m producing power? Typical: 1 week to receive the kit, 1 hour to install (if DIY), and 2–6 weeks for the smart meter swap. Total: about a month from order to first offset kWh.

What’s the warranty? The EcoFlow STREAM microinverter carries a 10-year manufacturer warranty. Panels carry 25-year power-output warranties. If you add the roof install, we add a 1-year workmanship warranty on our install. Full terms on our warranty page.

What if it doesn’t work? We do hands-on troubleshooting first. If a component is defective, we replace it under warranty. If you simply changed your mind, we have a return window — see warranty and returns.

Still have a question?

Easiest way to reach us is text. Quick questions get quick replies. Text 385-283-7904 or send us a message. We answer every email within a business day, usually faster.