Allow self-installation of plug-in solar panels
Allow self-installation of plug-in solar panels
The Issue
YOUR ELECTRICAL BILL IS TOO HIGH!
You can buy a plug-in solar panel for $300–$400. It sits on your balcony, plugs into a standard wall outlet, and can save you $35–$55 a month. You don't need to own a home. You don't need a big backyard. You just need a balcony outlet.
The problem? Right now, Minnesota law forces you to hire a certified electrician and file interconnection paperwork just to own one — adding $1,500–$3,000 on top of a $400 device.
But we know DIY installation works. Germany has 4 million households using plug-in solar right now — no electrician, no permit, just plug it in. Utah passed a law removing these exact barriers in 2025, and it passed 72 to 0.
The evidence is clear: THIS IS SAFE, THIS IS SIMPLE, AND THIS WORKS.
Minnesota is behind — and we're changing that. We want to remove these barriers so that every renter, student, and homeowner can plug in solar without the runaround. Sign this petition to tell our legislators for the changes.
We're students at the University of Minnesota collecting signatures to show our legislators that Minnesotans want this. Every name we bring to the Capitol says: people care about this — pass it.
Let's make clean energy affordable for everyone — not just homeowners.
"H. F. No. 3555, A bill for an act relating to energy; regulating the installation and operation of a plug-in solar photovoltaic device; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 216B.
The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Energy Finance and Policy."
Bottom Line: We are trying to help people reduce their electrical bills by using an alternatively green energy, which is also beneficial for our climate. If our policy gets passed in a near future, we hope every renter/student/homeowner can own their own means of green energy and reduce the electrical bills.
Links to resources for more information on what we're attempting to accomplish:
- https://www.brightsaver.org/?srsltid=AfmBOoriTN9dbux9iIa5AMnPCCW2-tW0wFmMr9AEBhQr21u_8lDjzt6U
- https://www.dw.com/en/boom-small-solar-devices-plugged-into-household-sockets-german-energy-transition/a-75022163
- https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/homeowners-guide-solar
- https://solarunitedneighbors.org/resources/what-to-know-about-plug-in-solar/
- https://votesolar.org/
- https://www.house.mn.gov/cco/journals/2025-26/J022326CAL.htm#4647
80
The Issue
YOUR ELECTRICAL BILL IS TOO HIGH!
You can buy a plug-in solar panel for $300–$400. It sits on your balcony, plugs into a standard wall outlet, and can save you $35–$55 a month. You don't need to own a home. You don't need a big backyard. You just need a balcony outlet.
The problem? Right now, Minnesota law forces you to hire a certified electrician and file interconnection paperwork just to own one — adding $1,500–$3,000 on top of a $400 device.
But we know DIY installation works. Germany has 4 million households using plug-in solar right now — no electrician, no permit, just plug it in. Utah passed a law removing these exact barriers in 2025, and it passed 72 to 0.
The evidence is clear: THIS IS SAFE, THIS IS SIMPLE, AND THIS WORKS.
Minnesota is behind — and we're changing that. We want to remove these barriers so that every renter, student, and homeowner can plug in solar without the runaround. Sign this petition to tell our legislators for the changes.
We're students at the University of Minnesota collecting signatures to show our legislators that Minnesotans want this. Every name we bring to the Capitol says: people care about this — pass it.
Let's make clean energy affordable for everyone — not just homeowners.
"H. F. No. 3555, A bill for an act relating to energy; regulating the installation and operation of a plug-in solar photovoltaic device; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 216B.
The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Energy Finance and Policy."
Bottom Line: We are trying to help people reduce their electrical bills by using an alternatively green energy, which is also beneficial for our climate. If our policy gets passed in a near future, we hope every renter/student/homeowner can own their own means of green energy and reduce the electrical bills.
Links to resources for more information on what we're attempting to accomplish:
- https://www.brightsaver.org/?srsltid=AfmBOoriTN9dbux9iIa5AMnPCCW2-tW0wFmMr9AEBhQr21u_8lDjzt6U
- https://www.dw.com/en/boom-small-solar-devices-plugged-into-household-sockets-german-energy-transition/a-75022163
- https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/homeowners-guide-solar
- https://solarunitedneighbors.org/resources/what-to-know-about-plug-in-solar/
- https://votesolar.org/
- https://www.house.mn.gov/cco/journals/2025-26/J022326CAL.htm#4647
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The Decision Makers
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Petition created on February 24, 2026