Plug-In Solar in Maine
Yes, you can. In Maine, certified solar kits of 420 watts or less are yours to connect on your own. Above 420 watts and up to 1,200 watts, you need a licensed electrician, plus a dedicated circuit and a notice to the utility.
- Legal in Maine todayLD 1730 (SP 676)
- The cap per home is 1,200 W.
- 30.2 centsAverage home price per kWh from EIA, Jan to Aug 2026.
- Each year: $328.In Portland, an 800 W kit, with no utility solar fee included.
Before connecting in Maine, choose a kit of 1,200 W or less. Its inverter must stop sending power once the grid goes down, and it must be listed to UL 3700 or an equal standard.
Maine's Law, Explained
Signed on Apr 6, 2026, LD 1730 (SP 676) goes into effect on Jul 29, 2026. The law carries the name Public Law 2026, Chapter 644.
Capacity: 1,200 W overall, with an easier tier for anything up to 420 W.
Safety listing: The system must be listed or certified under UL 3700 or another relevant UL LLC or National Electrical Code standard for plug-in systems. A comparable standard set by a nationally recognized testing laboratory also qualifies. The third option is configuration under the requirements of the National Electrical Code as adopted by the Electricians' Examining Board. If power is disrupted, an inverter has to shut off within 0.2 seconds.
Utility approval: None needed. Your transmission and distribution utility can't demand approval, an interconnection application, an agreement or a study, and it can't refuse a compliant installation.
Utility notice: None needed up to 420 W of combined inverter output (AC) per service address. Between 420 W and 1,200 W, customers must give the utility notice within 30 days after installation, using the form the Public Utilities Commission sets, and include the service address, inverter capacity, and a compliance statement.
Fees: The utility can't charge any fee tied to the system, and it can't ask for added controls or equipment that isn't already built in.
Renters and landlords: If you install on a structure you don't own, you must make sure the installation does not harm that structure and does not break building codes, fire codes or zoning codes. When the system comes out, you must put the structure back the way it was. The law doesn't say a landlord has to allow it.
Net metering: Not allowed. You may not use a plug-in system for net energy billing (sections 3209-A and 3209-B, 35-A MRSA).
- Over 420 W and up to 1,200 W, an electrician licensed in Maine must install each system and put it on a dedicated circuit with one outlet.
- Battery systems you plug into a standard outlet fall under that same 1,200 W export limit too.
- The utility isn't liable when a customer's plug-in system causes damage or injury.
- Section 3475 of 35-A MRSA is where the law is codified.
Bigger Systems and the Rules From Before This Law
Hooking up: PUC's Chapter 324 covers regular solar under its small generator interconnection rule. Level 1 covers systems of 25 kW or less that use certified inverters, and the fee to apply is $100. Plug-in systems covered by the new law skip that step.
Net metering: Maine's kWh Credit Program, part of Net Energy Billing, is open to all utility customers. For renewable projects under 5 MW, it awards kWh credits, and any you don't use expire after 12 months.
Savings from a Kit in Maine
Each 1 kW of panels in Portland produces 1,355 kWh a year according to PVWatts, and homes in Maine pay 30.2 cents per kWh in 2026 so far. The numbers for an 800 W kit depend on where the panels go:
| Where the panels go | kWh a year | Saved a year |
|---|---|---|
| Tilted south on a stand | 1,084 | $328 |
| Upright on a railing | 683 | $206 |
| Facing east or west | 867 | $262 |
Each Month in Portland
- Jan73
- Feb83
- Mar104
- Apr101
- May109
- Jun105
- Jul109
- Aug105
- Sep100
- Oct78
- Nov61
- Dec56
kWh that an 800 W kit makes when tilted south.
Kits That Fit Under 1,200 W
| Kit | kWh a year | Saved a year | Pays back in | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Solar Supplier 1180 W EZ1 Kit | 1,599 | $483 | 1.9 years | $899 |
| Bright Saver 360 W Balcony Kit | 488 | $147 | 2.8 years | $414 |
| EcoFlow STREAM 800 W Kit | 1,084 | $328 | 3.4 years | $1,099 |
Each kit is tilted south and used at home. Compare all kits
What to Know in Maine
- Power prices in Maine rank among the highest in the US. In 2024 the average Maine home paid 24.29 cents/kWh, so each kWh a kit generates is worth a lot.
- Retail choice applies in Maine, so you can take electricity supply from a competitive provider rather than the standard offer, and CMP or Versant still delivers your power.
Do You Rent, or Is Your Setup on a Balcony?
Ask your landlord or HOA first: the law in Maine covers the hookup rather than the mount, and its renter rule appears above. Read about balcony solar and solar for apartments.
Primary Utilities
- Central Maine Power
- Versant Power
Next Steps for You in Maine
- Pick a kit that is 1,200 W or under. The comparison covered 7 kits, and all 7 fit the cap. Each must carry the listing named by the law. Compare the kits.
- Check the notice rule above. If it applies to you, tell your electric utility. Your papers should include the kit's spec sheet.
- A grounded outlet is what you need, on a circuit that carries little else; a power strip is never the place to connect it.
Sources
- LD 1730 Chaptered Law, Public Law 2026 Chapter 644 (Maine Legislature)
- LD 1730, SP 676, Text and Status, 132nd Legislature, Second Regular Session
- Summary of LD 1730 (LawMakerWeb)
- Maine State Legislature
- MPUC Chapter 324 Small Generator Interconnection Procedures
- Net Energy Billing | MPUC
- Standard Offer Rates | MPUC
- EIA State Electricity Profile tables, Maine 2024
- NREL PVWatts, Portland and EIA Table 5.6.B, 2026 price data
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