Representative Tristan Rader and Representative Chris Glassburn have introduced a plug in balcony solar bill,  HB 755. There is a companion bill in the Ohio Senate, SB 383, introduced by Senator Casey Weinstein and Louis Blessing III. This bill would allow renters and homeowners to use portable solar panels up to 1200 watts. These units can be plugged into a 120 volt outlet and immediately reduce the amount of electricity a household is drawing from the grid and reduce the electric bill.  These units shut down when there is a grid outage. There is no grid connecting agreement needed with the utility. Additionally, all units would need to be certified for safety by UL (underwriters Laboratories) or a similar national certifying organization.

There is a real movement around the country. Balcony solar legislation has been enacted in 7 states as of June. In 6 states bills are advancing. Bills have been introduced in 5 states and bills have been deferred until 2027 in 16 states. So including DC, there is activity in 34 states.

Third Act Ohio has joined a coalition of organizations including Solar United Neighbors and the Sierra Club to work with the Ohio Legislature to pass this bill.  Stay tuned for updates and action alerts as we work on passage of this important bill.

On August 11, 2026, 7 PM at our Third Act Ohio Working Group Meeting, Solar Committee Member, Greg Witt will provide an overview of how Plug In Balcony Solar works.  Details on the meeting will be provided in the August update.

Residential rooftop solar in the U.S. costs two or three times more than in Australia, Germany and Japan. One reason is that rooftop solar permitting in the U.S. is overly cumbersome and not standardized. In Ohio, for example, solar permits for homes can take up to 30 days to approve. SolarAPP+ is an online permitting solution used by over 335 towns and cities across the country — including Athens Ohio  — that results in an instant permit with an inspection checklist for building officials.

We will soon be inviting you to attend a “Simplify Solar Launch” Zoom call to learn how you can be part of an effort to introduce Ohio towns and cities to a better, faster way to manage and approve permits for residential rooftop solar and storage.

Patrick Hayakawa, Jurisdiction Support Officer for SolarAPP+, will provide an overview of the SolarAPP+ online automated permitting platform. SolarAPP+ results in more solar installations, faster, by ensuring code compliance, standardizing applications for installers working throughout Ohio, and shortening the permit timeline, all reducing costs and freeing up municipal staff time in the process.

The “Simplify Solar Launch” meeting will be followed by additional training sessions on easy-to-use approaches for informing local officials about this new way to get solar permits approved. There also will be a support network for those interested in introducing SolarAPP+ to officials and staff in their community. This will be followed by a final meeting where we will invite municipal officials to hear directly from SolarApp+ and get VIP treatment from SolarApp+ to facilitate their municipality’s adoption of this system.

Although the Trump Administration has ground federal renewable energy progress to a halt and even reversal, It is exciting to see the advancement of renewables at the state and city levels. This is where Third Act Ohio is putting its energy.

For more information on plug in balcony solar, instant rooftop permitting or the Third Act Ohio Solar Committee which meets at 1 pm on the 2nd Monday of the month, contact Greg Witt and Mike Lacinak, Climate Liaisons, at ohio@thirdact.org