In case you missed it: Solar stories of the week

California has a new law, SB 868, that lets residents use portable solar devices, sometimes called balcony solar or plug-in solar, which plug into a regular outlet to send power to a home. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill, making California the largest market in the country for this kind of setup. It could be an option for people who want some solar power but don't own their roof or can't afford a full rooftop system.

In New England, grid operator ISO-NE says rooftop solar has grown enough that it no longer sees a need for a new natural gas plant in the region. The area just logged its 500th day of a "duck curve," a pattern where solar output changes how much power the grid needs at different times of day. This points to rooftop solar having a real, measurable effect on regional power planning.

On pricing, one analysis expects solar panel costs to jump at least 40 percent once new Section 232 tariff rules take effect, since the import duties raise the cost of panels. If you've been considering solar for your home, this suggests it may be worth getting quotes soon, before the higher pricing kicks in.

Separately, small-scale solar, the category that includes home systems, kept growing in the second quarter of 2026, adding 1.6 gigawatts along with new home battery storage. But overall, solar's share of new power capacity nationally dipped as more fossil fuel plants came online. A new industry report also mapped out 22 U.S. solar panel manufacturers, part of a broader push toward making more panels domestically.