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That represents over 7% of all households in the United States, and by 2030, that percentage is predicted to rise to 15%, or roughly double over the following five years. In the United States, the practice of solar panels on residences is obviously no longer unique.

According to a SolarReviews analysis, approximately 5 million households—more precisely, 4.7 million—had solar panels mounted on their roofs as of early 2025.

Wattage: Systems with less than 1,200 watts are frequently seen as small generators, which makes it easier to have them approved.

When you buy, look for: UL Listed/Certified: Make sure that the inverter and the whole system (or its parts) are UL certified.
NEC Compliant: Make sure it features anti-islanding and passes the electrical safety criteria for US outlets that use 120V.

"Appliance-Like" Approach: Bright Saver and other businesses focus on extremely modest systems (like 200 watts) that don't transmit electricity back to the grid, which lets them evade utility rules while they work on bigger, certified solutions.

Availability of Products: Companies like Craftstrom sell NEC/UL-compliant systems that frequently come with smart meters and UL 1741-certified microinverters, although they may need to be installed by a specialist.

Current Situation in the U.S. State-Level of Progress: In 2025, Utah approved a law that made it easier to sell and install these small plug-in systems. New Hampshire and Vermont are also thinking about passing laws like these.

NEC Compliance (Anti-Islanding): Systems must include "anti-islanding" capabilities that stop them from sending power back to the grid during an outage. This is a very important safety requirement of the National Electrical Code (NEC).