Big solar energy projects are getting harder to build. Vermont lawmakers hope they can compensate by going small.
Top lawmakers will put forward legislation in January to encourage so-called balcony solar systems that comprise a few panels that plug into a home outlet through an inverter.
Far cheaper and easier to install than rooftop solar, though providing only a fraction of the electricity to the home, supporters hope it will mark a new avenue of expansion for renewables — especially as the Trump administration repeals federal subsidies for both utility-scale and rooftop solar.
Also known as plug-in solar, the systems are popular in Germany, where more than a million have been installed. And they’ve been embraced by lawmakers in Utah, who voted unanimously earlier this year to simplify the rules for installing them. Lawmakers in New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and several other states are considering similar proposals.
