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The Plug-in Solar Fit & Savings Guide

In ten minutes, understand whether plug-in solar is worth investigating in for your home, what might affect savings, and what to check before buying.

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  • What is Plug-In-Solar?

    09/25/2026

     | @martinforde

    What is it? Put simply, Plug-in-Solar is a small & lightweight panel, a micro-inverter, and a standard plug, which you plug directly into any regular 120V wall outlet.

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Hi, I'm Martin.

I’m a homeowner in Los Angeles. I went looking for a simple way to put solar on my home, and couldn’t believe the cost and complexity of traditional rooftop solar. Tens of thousands of dollars, with payback measured in decades. It didn’t make sense to me.

I ended up discovering an entire category most Americans have never even heard of: Plug-in-solar.

This category is taking off in Europe. Now US laws were beginning to make it possible here. But figuring out what’s safe, legal and actually worth buying meant readying utility rules, legislation, electrical standards, and endless DIY forum threads.

So I built the resource I wish I had when I started. Utu, named after the Mesopotamian god of the sun. Everything you need to know about plug-in-solar, explained simply. 

Martin Forde

Founder, utu Solar · Los Angeles, CA

Your state's rules, in one email

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Guides and videos made for a first-timer

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If I wouldn't buy it, I won't send it.

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GET FREE GUIDE

The Plug-in Solar Fit & Savings Guide

In ten minutes, understand whether plug-in solar is worth investigating in for your home, what might affect savings, and what to check before buying.

Do you rent or own?

Close