Allows a retail electricity consumer to install and use portable solar photovoltaic energy devices with up to a total maximum generating capacity of 1,200 watts.
HB 4080 would authorize Oregon retail electricity consumers to install and use portable solar photovoltaic energy devices—essentially plug-in solar units—up to a combined maximum capacity of 1,200 watts. The bill defines the devices, requires them to be moveable, UL-listed or similarly certified, connected through a standard 120-volt outlet, and equipped with a safety feature that prevents backfeeding during a power outage. Before installation, a consumer must file a declaration with the electric utility identifying the number, capacity, and location of the devices.
The measure also limits utility oversight by stating that these devices do not require utility review, approval, or an interconnection agreement, and utilities may not charge filing fees or impose charges that would raise minimum monthly bills above those of comparable customers in the same rate class. It further allows such devices to be used as net metering facilities, subject to existing net metering requirements. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, but most of its operative provisions begin January 1, 2027.
HB 4080 would add new provisions to ORS chapter 757 governing portable solar photovoltaic energy devices and would amend Oregon’s planned community and condominium statutes, ORS 94.779 and ORS 100.023, to limit HOA and condominium restrictions on these devices. It would also apply tenant protections in ORS chapter 90 by prohibiting landlords from barring portable solar devices except for specified safety, code, structural, or electrical-capacity reasons, and it would make landlords immune from liability for harms caused by tenant-installed devices. In addition, the bill authorizes the Department of Consumer and Business Services to update the state building code to address installation, mounting, electrical capacity, and safe operation of the devices.
The bill appears generally supportive of distributed clean energy and consumer choice, with a clear policy goal of making small-scale solar easier to adopt in homes, rentals, and common-interest communities. Because there are no recorded votes or committee transcripts in the provided material, there is no documented floor or committee debate to indicate formal support or opposition. The bill’s structure suggests an effort to balance access with safety and building-code compliance rather than to eliminate all regulation.
The main points of potential contention are the limits on landlord, HOA, and condominium authority, and the extent to which utilities may be required to accommodate plug-in solar without traditional interconnection review. Property owners and associations may object to reduced control over exterior installations, egress, aesthetics, structural impacts, or electrical capacity, while utilities may be concerned about safety, liability, and system compatibility. The bill addresses some of these concerns by preserving exceptions for code violations, manufacturer safety rules, common-element interference, and insufficient electrical capacity, and by limiting liability for utilities and landlords.