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UL official tells House committee UL 3,700 addresses plug‑in PV safety; members press on plugs, circuits and certification timing
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Summary
A UL Solutions representative told the House Energy committee that UL 3,700 requires protective measures for plug‑in photovoltaic (PIPV) products (overcurrent protection, specialized connectors, bidirectional GFCI) and that the standard is being used for product certification; committee members asked about dedicated circuits, 391‑watt exemptions, lightning and grid registration.
A representative from UL Solutions told the House Energy and Digital Infrastructure Committee that UL 3,700 is a finalized set of requirements used to certify plug‑in photovoltaic (PIPV) products and that the standard includes protections intended to address unique safety hazards created when a consumer device feeds power back into a home's wiring.
Committee members asked technical questions about overcurrent protection, connector safety, low‑power exemptions and certification timelines. The UL representative said UL 3,700 does not require a dedicated circuit but provides two alternative approaches for nondedicated circuits: an integral overcurrent protective device in the product or a power control system that limits available current. "If it's on a nondedicated circuit, there's a different set of practical use conditions... you either have to use an integral overcurrent protective device within that PIPV system... or you can use a power control system," the witness explained.
Members pressed whether conventional NEMA 5‑15 plugs are allowed. The UL representative said the standard, as written today, would not permit a standard NEMA 5‑15 plug on PIPV products because that configuration allows a consumer to plug the device into any receptacle and potentially overload circuits or defeat protective devices. The witness also said bidirectional GFCI protection is required to address reverse current scenarios and that specialized connector designs are part of the safety approach.
On low‑power thresholds, lawmakers cited other states' proposals (example: 391 watts). The UL representative said wattage limits alone do not remove the hazards and that UL 3,700 addresses safety through required protective systems regardless of wattage. On certification timing, UL said it is engaged with manufacturers and that certified PIPV products should appear in the marketplace once companies demonstrate conformity and pass UL's surveillance and factory audits; the witness declined to give a precise date but characterized the horizon as "weeks to months" depending on manufacturer readiness.
The committee also asked whether utilities can reliably detect plug‑in PV devices on distribution systems and whether consumer registration would be useful; the UL representative deferred to electric utilities for that operational question but recommended states ensure authorities have information needed to assess safety and interconnection impacts. The session closed with committee members thanking the witnesses and collecting answers for the record.
