Plug-in Solar 201: What It Actually Takes to Plug In
Nine states, and counting, have now passed laws letting a homeowner or renter plug a small, certified solar device straight into a wall outlet. Texas isn't one of them yet, even though one of the companies building this hardware, CraftStrom, is headquartered here in Houston. As the 2027 legislative session approaches, the conversation is shifting from whether plug-in solar should be legal to what the actual rules should say, and that's a harder conversation, more technical and policy-driven than an introductory session gets into.
In this session, CraftStrom Co-Founder Stephan Scherer sits down with Andrew Wang, representing Solar United Neighbors, for a panel discussion. We'll cover what UL 3700 actually certifies, what the FCC's new ban on foreign-produced inverters means for the market, how plug-in solar legality differs between the states, and what's shaping up to be in Texas's own plug-in solar model bill.
This is a hybrid event. Feel free to attend online from anywhere. Register online with the following link: https://www.mobilize.us/solarunitedneighbors/event/1029642/
Bio:
Stephan Scherer is an engineer and co-founder of Houston-based CraftStrom, with a mission to democratize solar by making it as simple as plugging in a lamp. Under his leadership, CraftStrom introduced lightweight, purpose-built panels for plug-in solar, advanced smart plug-in monitoring, and delivered its first U.S.-certified product in 2021. Today, CraftStrom serves customers in all 50 states and he has become a trusted subject matter expert to lawmakers and advocates across the country.
The momentum is real. In the last two years, plug-in solar laws have been passed in nine states and are now awaiting signatures from governors in California and New York.
After early work in automotive and oil & gas—including roles from drilling in Russia to subsea pipeline projects in the Mediterranean—Stephan shifted his focus to removing the barriers that keep everyday households from going solar. He helped pioneer plug-in solar in Germany and built CraftStrom (founded in 2019) to bring “permission-free” solar to the U.S.: affordable, DIY systems designed to work without the complexity that typically slows adoption.
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*This program is not sponsored or endorsed by the Houston Public Library.
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