Plug-in solar roundup: Mango Power gets UL 3700; Bright Saver kicks off crowdfunding

Plug-in solar, sometimes called balcony solar, is picking up steam. These are small solar setups you can plug directly into an outlet, without a full rooftop installation. Bills to allow them have come up in 36 state legislatures, and nine states have now passed laws setting rules for how they can be used.

Many of those state laws require plug-in solar equipment to be certified to a safety standard called UL 3700, which covers things like protection against electrical overload and shock. Mango Power has become the third company, after Hoymiles and APSystems, to get this certification, for its Mango Power S kit. That kit includes four 300-watt solar panels, microinverters (devices that convert the panels' output for home use), a smart gateway, cables, and mounting hardware. If you're considering a plug-in solar setup, checking whether the product carries UL 3700 certification is one way to know it meets the safety standard many states now require.

Separately, Bright Saver, a California nonprofit that both pushes for plug-in solar laws and sells its own kits to members at cost, launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for new inventory. The group asked for between $150,000 and $300,000 and has already brought in more than $170,000 from 130 investors, putting it near its top goal. This doesn't affect current customers directly, but it suggests the nonprofit plans to keep expanding the kits it offers to members going forward.