This development moves alternative energy toward greater accessibility for renters and small‑scale users.
Hoymiles
Last week, Hoymiles introduced its HiFlow Pro microinverter, enabling solar power to be harvested via a standard household outlet. Several states have already enacted legislation permitting plug‑in solar, with additional states considering similar measures. As Electrek reports, while microinverters are not new, this Hoymiles model is the first in the U.S. to meet the recently established national safety standard. Adopted in December 2025, UL 3700 represents the inaugural North American safety code for plug‑in photovoltaic systems, often called “balcony solar.”
A key hurdle for widespread adoption of these compact solar panels is the risk that, because the converters feed electricity into an outlet rather than drawing from it, power could inadvertently flow back into the grid during an outage, posing a danger to utility crews. UL 3700 addresses this by mandating safeguards against accidental overloads and other safety concerns.
Plug‑in solar systems are not designed to power an entire apartment, but they offer a practical way to lessen dependence on the main electric grid without installing a full rooftop array. The introduction of a federal standard for these smaller setups broadens the market to renters and apartment dwellers who previously could not pursue traditional rooftop installations.
