How we research.
We do not test hardware. We compile manufacturer specifications, published utility rules, state legislation and current retail prices — and we cite and date every one of them. If something here is wrong, tell us and we will correct it with a note.
Where our facts come from
Specifications
Manufacturer datasheets and product listings. Watts, efficiency, weight, IP rating and warranty terms are quoted from the source, not from a press release.
Law and utility rules
State legislation, published utility tariffs and interconnection documents. Each state carries the statute or bill number where one exists.
Prices and sun-hours
Current retail listings for prices, EIA state averages for electricity rates, and NREL data for sun-hours in the calculators.
We do not test hardware
Nobody at PlugAndSun buys, mounts, meters or installs the products on this site. We have no lab, no test balcony and no review units. Any site that tells you a $300 kit was metered for a year should be asked to show the data; we would rather simply not make the claim.
What "best" means here
Without testing, the word is empty unless the basis is stated — so we state it. A pick is the cheapest per watt, or has the longest warranty, or is the only one under the wattage cap in your state. The reason is always written next to the recommendation, and it is always checkable.
Every claim is dated
Prices move, laws change and products get discontinued. A fact without a date is a fact you cannot trust, so specs, prices and legal statuses carry the date they were last verified. Where a page has gone stale, the date says so honestly rather than hiding it.
Savings are estimates, never promises
Output and payback figures are modelled from sun-hours, electricity rates and a self-consumption assumption, and the assumptions are printed alongside the result. Your balcony faces a particular direction, sits in a particular amount of shade and belongs to a particular utility. Treat every number here as a starting point for your own math.
What we will not advise on
We do not give electrical or installation instructions. Wiring, breaker capacity and anything touching your home's electrical system is a question for a licensed electrician in your state, and we will always say so rather than guess.
Affiliate links do not buy placement
Some links earn us a commission at no cost to you, disclosed near the link itself. A commission has never decided a ranking, and we name the products we think you should skip — including ones we could have earned on.
Corrections
If a spec, price or legal status here is wrong, email us and we will fix it and note the correction on the page with its date. Public corrections are worth more than a claim of never being wrong.
Last updated: July 20, 2026