[Canary Media] Virginia to Become Second State that Allows Balcony Solar

Across the United States, access to balcony solar for Americans requires jumping through red tape and negotiations with their electricity providers. Virginia will soon become the second state (after Utah) to streamline access to balcony solar units for its residents.

The bills facilitating the change passed the General Assembly with strong bipartisan support and now head to Governor Spanberger’s desk – where she is expected to sign them into law. The new standards would go into effect at the beginning of January 2027, where Virginians would be able to purchase solar panels at a store like any other appliance without needing to receive prior authorization from a utility company to install. The solar panel kits would be limited to a total of 1,200 watts (about four panels), which can help supply between 5% to 15% of an average customer’s energy demand.

Access to balcony solar was one of Spanberger and Democrats’ priorities in fulfilling their affordability agenda. It is already a common sight in Europe, and several other states (e.g. Alaska, Illinois, and South Carolina) are also considering legislation to provide easier access. If many more states follow the lead of Virginia and Utah, then Americans across the country could see the price of solar panels drop significantly resulting from a larger scale of the solar economy.

You can read the full article here for more details.