Plug-in solar — also known as balcony solar — is one of the fastest-growing entry points into clean energy, and it is finally gaining a legal foothold in the United States.
But it’s so new to this country that it’s generating a lot of questions. Is it safe? Can it really save a household money? Is it truly plug and play?
In this episode, I talk with Stephan Scherer, co-founder and CEO of CraftStrom, who spent roughly a decade in the European plug-in solar market before bringing the technology to the US
The conversation explores:
How plug-in solar differs from conventional rooftop solar
Circumstances where it can offset a meaningful chunk of a household’s electricity bill
Why the technology avoids the interconnection agreements and soft costs that make traditional residential solar expensive
Scherer addresses concerns about impact on line-worker safety and grid export — and explains the certifications, anti-islanding shutoffs, and zero-export approaches that underpin safe deployment.
Listeners also learn about technical breakthroughs, such as lightweight, bendable panels; integrated Wi-Fi monitoring; simplified installation; the economics and payback math; the addition of plug-in batteries and virtual power plants; and the wave of state laws reshaping access for homeowners and renters alike. (Note: When the podcast was recorded in May, five states had passed laws explicitly allowing balcony solar. Since then, the count has risen to eight, with 20 additional states considering it. Track the changes at Plugin Solar US.
About the Guest
Stephan Scherer — Co-Founder & CEO, CraftStrom
Stephan Scherer is the co-founder and CEO of CraftStrom, a plug-in solar company that sells lightweight, plug-and-play solar kits in all 50 U.S. states. Trained as an automotive engineer (he holds a master’s degree), Scherer worked in oil and gas before moving into solar, eventually building an off-grid solar power plant and then turning to the emerging European balcony-solar market around 2016–2017.
CraftStrom operates on both sides of the Atlantic: the company founded a German entity and operated originally in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and other markets while also certifying its products for the U.S. (certified in the U.S. in 2021).
The company designs its hardware and software in-house, including lightweight multilayer panels, microinverters with integrated Wi-Fi, a power meter, and a smart breaker that disconnects the device in the event of an overload. Scherer has testified as a witness in several state legislative proceedings on plug-in solar safety.
He co-founded CraftStrom with his brother, Michael Scherer.
