14.5 The limits: no export, a city permit may still apply, and don't DIY it with a plug

Plug-in solar comes with hard limits — don't let "plug it in and save" ads mislead you:

• It can't sell power. The reason it skips interconnection is that it's excluded from the interconnection process entirely — with no interconnection agreement, any surplus sent to the grid earns you nothing. So it saves money only one way: when your home happens to be using power at the moment it's generating. Midday, a typical home's load is often just a few hundred watts, so when a 1,200 W unit is at full output much of it is simply given to the grid.
• No utility approval ≠ no city permit. The "no application" clause in the law applies to the utility. City building/electrical permits aren't addressed: a device that only plugs into an existing outlet is usually treated as an appliance and typically needs no permit; but fixing racking to a railing, wall, or roof may trigger a building permit, and running a new dedicated circuit is electrical work that usually requires one. Apartments and HOAs have their own rules.
• Don't DIY it with a plug. Some want to buy a UL microinverter, add a few panels, and plug it into a 240 V outlet. Electrically 240 V is more sensible, but it doesn't satisfy the law (which wants whole-system certification), and plugging generation equipment straight into an outlet isn't allowed under current electrical code. If you really want to self-install, the right way is to have a licensed electrician hardwire it to the breaker panel and apply for a normal permit and interconnection — that's compliant, has no 1,200 W cap, and can export under your local rules.