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Senate asks state energy utility to study safety and utility of portable solar systems
Summary
Senate Resolution 21, sponsored by Senator Hansen, asks the Sustainable Energy Utility to study "balcony" or portable solar generation devices for safety, metering, grid backfeed risks, and customer bill impacts; the resolution passed unanimously.
Senator Hansen introduced Senate Resolution 21, which requests the Delaware Sustainable Energy Utility, DNREC and state utilities conduct a study evaluating the safety and utility of portable solar generation devices (often called "balcony" solar).
Hansen listed several areas for review: the impact of exported energy into distribution systems, safety concerns about backfeeding that could endanger line crews, how utilities would record excess generation on customer meters, potential GFCI-related hazards, and the absence of a current national electric code provision certifying these systems. He said the resolution replaces an earlier bill (SB 270) to allow a more thorough stakeholder-driven investigation with utilities and technical experts.
The Senate recorded a roll-call vote (21 yes) and declared Senate Resolution 21 passed. The sponsor said the study will inform whether net metering or interconnection rules must change and will quantify technical and billing impacts across utility territories.
