May 15, 2026
It’s a dream come true for the average homeowner. Walk into Walmart, Home Depot – any big box store – grab some solar panels, go home, plug them in and you’re good to go.
What seemed like a dream just a few years ago is quickly becoming a reality across the country as balcony solar bills wind their way through state legislatures. But those bills will ultimately be meaningless if there are no products on the shelves.
Swedish furniture giant IKEA has already started selling plug-in solar and storage systems in Germany, but the technology is not yet as ubiquitous in the US. Still, there are a select number of pioneering companies that have begun putting solar energy products for balconies on American shelves.
A look at a market leader in balcony sun protection
Doug Hewitt, American director of AP systemssays the DIY solar market will always have a soft spot in its heart. His company’s EZ1 plug-in solar systems offer a new solution for that U.S. market, he says.
“APsystems has been fielding EZ1, the plug-in solar, in Europe for the past few years,” says Hewitt. “We were one of the first to have it available here in the US, and we released it around the time Utah passed their law. I would say it didn’t take off that quickly, but then it started to gain some traction. Now we have 33 states that have passed laws or are looking at them.”
The company’s EZ1 system is “all people come and talk to me now,” Hewitt said. With the plug-in microinverter itself costing about $250, and full panel and mounting kits often costing around $750, the plug-in market could very quickly become mainstream for the American middle class, he says.
“Many people are a bit unsure about the connection; they are not yet used to solar energy,” he says. “You’ve got your do-it-yourselfers, your renters. People just want to have some say in what they pay, while rates are constantly rising everywhere.
“I think the fact that anyone can move a little bit of money out of their account gives them a sense of empowerment.”
There is truth in Hewitt’s words: the average American household has seen its energy bills increase by 40% since 2021, according to the Washington Post. He says the EZ1 not only offers a solution that pays for itself relatively quickly, but also allows new demographics, such as apartment renters, to enter the solar energy market.
“I remember when I set mine up, I honestly couldn’t believe how intuitive and easy it was,” says Hewitt. “That’s when I was really sold on the product. Literally anyone can do this because it just plugs into the wall and then goes over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It’s insanely simple.”
Empowering the people
Cora Stryker, co-founder of the California solar nonprofit Clear saversays her company works with APsystems – among several other manufacturers – to get their products out of the factory and onto the market. Although Bright Saver itself is not a manufacturer, it has become a crucial part of the plug-in systems market.
“Bright Saver, as a nonprofit organization, is committed to the vision of putting balcony solar power systems in the hands of every American who wants them,” Stryker said. “There is a huge group of Americans who want the power to buy their own electricity. They see their energy bills rising every month and they feel completely powerless to stop it. … And paradoxically, energy has never been cheaper to produce.”
Solar energy has become the cheapest energy available to humanity ever according to Stryker could have produced. Bright Saver currently has two different plug-in solar kits available for shipping within California, with the NEM Go listed for just under $2,000, and the NEM Pro for just under $1,500. Stryker estimates that once more states pass pro-balcony solar legislation, prices will drop even further.
“Many of the real barriers we found are regulatory,” she says. “Currently, we have 35 states that have introduced this legislation, plus DC lawmakers from coast to coast, and in Hawaii and Alaska, in all 50 states, recognizing that their constituents need a way to lower their electric bills. But they don’t have access to the low-cost solar technology that could lower those electric bills.”
As the U.S. power grid comes under further strain during peak times, plug-in solar energy could become a potentially life-saving technology, Stryker says. Systems like the EZ1 or the Hoymiles HMS-1000 microinverter can be critical for renters and homeowners who need to keep medications cold, or for those who rely on electrically powered machines in their daily lives.
In Germany, these plug-in systems pay for themselves within one to two years, according to Stryker. The goal for the U.S. should be to reach that level, and such a goal is becoming more realistic by the day, she says.
“(Success is when) we look like Germany,” she says. “Anyone can buy these for a few hundred dollars, take them home, plug them in and start lowering their energy bills and gaining more energy independence in the event of an increasingly unreliable power grid failure.”
Tags: APsystems, balcony sun blinds, plug-in solar energy, policy
