Delaware Plug-In Solar Laws

What Delaware chose to study first

SR 21 asks DESEU to work with DNREC and each public electric utility on more than a generic safety review. The requested design covers varying device sizes, the amount of energy exported to distribution systems, safety concerns linked to export, customer-bill effects under different meter configurations and whether generation could backflow to the transmission system. It also asks for participants with different energy-use profiles and housing types.

The resolution and bill therefore need separate status labels. The resolution creates a research assignment. It does not amend Title 26, exempt a device from interconnection or approve a product. The eventual report may support, narrow or change a later bill. Until an enacted text says otherwise, start with the serving utility and the existing electrical pathway.

The proposed 800 W definition has linked conditions

The proposed 800 W figure sits inside a linked definition rather than standing alone. The same device would need to be movable, stay at or below 800 W total maximum power output per utility meter, connect through a standard 120 V AC outlet, primarily offset customer consumption, meet the National Electrical Code as adopted by the State Fire Marshal and carry UL or equivalent NRTL certification. Missing one condition would place a configuration outside the proposed exemption.

The bill does not label the 800 W figure as panel DC nameplate capacity or continuous inverter AC output. Preserve that wording instead of translating it into a different measurement. Ask the seller for panel and inverter ratings separately, then match the exact certification record and final enacted definition if the bill advances. SR 21's introductory reference to devices around 1,200 W is not a replacement cap; the resolution requests a study and says researchers should use varying sizes.

UL 1741 is one evidence layer, not the whole answer

SB 270 handles product evidence in two places. Its definition calls for certification by UL or an equivalent nationally recognized testing laboratory. A separate outage clause requires a mechanism or feature designed, tested and certified to UL 1741, or its successor, that prevents the device from energizing the building during an outage. The bill also calls for installation and operation under the latest IEEE 1547 revision, as amended.

Check the certifier's directory for the exact model, configuration, standard and conditions of use. A UL 1741 listing attached to one inverter does not automatically establish the draft's broader device certification, circuit arrangement, cable, plug, panel combination or instructions. The bill does not name UL 3700. Do not convert a component mark into complete-system evidence or assume that either kind of evidence creates present legal permission while SB 270 remains pending.

• Record the exact certified model and every component included in the evaluated configuration.
• Separate general device certification from the UL 1741 outage-isolation clause.
• Confirm that installation instructions match the proposed outlet, branch circuit and output setting.
• Treat any missing public certification record as not verified, not as an implied approval.

Metering and repeated export are proposal details

Registration and export treatment also appear in SB 270. The bill would require an online utility registration form by January 15, 2027. It says utilities must prevent registered customers from being charged for excess customer-generated electricity and inform them about net metering. A utility could require net metering if a device produced excess generation more than three times in a 12-month period, while the bill would cap the related equipment and enrollment charge at $75.

None of that is active while the bill remains pending. Delaware Code section 1014 and current utility rules address generation operated in parallel and net metering. Delaware PSC directs Delmarva Power customers with onsite generation to Delmarva's interconnection standards. The PSC also says Delmarva smart meters record net energy for solar customers, but meter capability alone does not establish the tariff for a non-net-metered plug-in device. Ask what the meter records, what the bill charges or credits and which written process applies before including export in payback.

Property, circuit and mounting decisions remain separate

Property permission sits outside both texts. Neither SB 270 nor SR 21 grants permission to use a rented balcony, common facade, railing or exterior receptacle. Obtain a written decision for the exact panel, mount, support, cable route and removal plan. An electrical proposal and a study resolution do not establish that a railing can take the wind load or that a cable may cross an exit or shared area.

Do not use an extension cord, power strip or improvised adapter. Identify the branch circuit, protective devices, receptacle condition and other loads, then follow the exact product instructions and current authority requirements. Coastal wind, salt exposure and storm conditions can change the mounting and inspection plan even when a future electrical route becomes available.