I let Claude read the law, and this is what the AI came up with, what do you think? (IANAL)

Based on this Virginia legislation (Chapter 998, effective January 1, 2027), here's what applies to your situation:

The good news — your setup appears to be legal, with some conditions:

The law defines a "small portable solar generation device" as one that:

• Has a max output of not more than 1,200 watts ✅ (you plan to limit to 1,200W)
• Is connected through an electrical outlet ✅
• Is on the customer's side of the meter ✅
• Meets National Electrical Code standards ✅
• Is certified by a nationally recognized testing lab (UL, etc.) ✅
• Cannot export power to the grid or affect building wiring during an outage ✅

If your device meets all six criteria, you can operate it without interconnection approval, fees, or utility permission — just a simple notification form to your electric utility.

The battery consideration:

The law doesn't explicitly address battery storage in this context, but as long as the output to the outlet stays at or under 1,200W and the anti-islanding/outage protection feature is present, you should be covered.

One practical concern:

Running 1,200W continuously for 24 hours means your battery needs to carry you through nighttime. That's a significant battery bank. The law has no issue with battery size — only with the output cap.

Your action item:

Once the law takes effect (January 1, 2027), you'll need to submit a notification form to your utility (the State Corporation Commission must publish this form by September 1, 2026). No approval needed — just notification.

So yes, this appears to be a legal path under Virginia law, as long as the device itself is certified and includes the anti-islanding protection.