Another problem in the United States is the lack of compatible safety devices called ground fault circuit boundaries or GFCI. They are usually built into sockets installed near water sources, such as sinks, washing machines or bathtubs. They are designed to minimize the risk of electric shock by cutting off the power, such as a hair dryer falling into a sink. However, there is no certified GFCI socket in the United States, designed to work with equipment that consumes mixers, such as mixers, and equipment that generates it, such as balcony solar settings. Andreas Schmitz, a German mechanical engineer, said that German mechanical engineer and YouTuber said that comparable to GFCI, called the residual current device, can detect bidirectional power flow.

Some people have raised concerns about the impact risk of metal plugs that touch the plug after unplugging the balcony solar equipment. German regulators explain this by requiring micro inverters, which convert current from panels to power to the house. Most of them already have this feature, but any U.S. standard may require formalizing the requirement.

lack Underwriter Laboratory (UL) standards may be the biggest obstacle to the adoption of balcony solar energy. The company proves the safety of thousands of household electrical products; according to Iowa State University, “Every bulb, light or socket purchased in the United States usually has a UL symbol and says UL is listed.” This ensures that customers follow nationally recognized guidelines that can use the risk of fire or shock.

While some companies sell plug-in solar equipment without UL listing, the company's approval seal is often a prerequisite for selling products on a wider market. Consumers may be wary of using something that lacks approval. For example, Utah’s new balcony solar policy stipulates that the law applies only to UL-listed products.

Achim Ginsberg-klemmt, vice president of engineering at plug-in solar startup Gismopower, has been working to create such standards for more than a year and a half. In 2023, the Ministry of Energy awarded his company grants to work with UL to develop standards.

Gismopower sells a mobile carport with solar panels and integrated electric car charger. Unlike rooftop solar, the system does not need to be installed in place, but can be rolled into the driveway and inserted to generate electricity for cars, houses and grids. "We're basically taking roof solar to the next level," Ginsberg-Klemmt said. The product is being used nationwide, although the lack of standardized rules for plug-in solar power forced the company to negotiate an interconnection agreement with local utilities, which is a time-consuming and sometimes expensive process.

Gismopower's products avoid one of the biggest technical challenges facing balcony solar by plugging in a dedicated 240-volt socket (usually used in dryers). Such sockets provide a single device and use dedicated circuits, thus avoiding the risk of overload. But it fell into the same obstacle that lacked UL standards. Ginsberg-Klemmt is working with researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, other entrepreneurs and underwriters lab engineers to set such standards, but it is not easy. "We found a lot of obstacles," he told Grist.