Plug-in balcony solar panels could mean cheaper power. But Canada needs to get on board first

A black solar panel hangs off a the rail of a stairway landing outside the entryway to a house.

How would you like to lower your electricity bill and help power your home using an abundant renewable energy source — the sun? There is an affordable, do-it-yourself solution for people who own houses, apartment renters and condo dwellers, that doesn’t cost buckets of money or require any sort of tedious installation. But, it’s not widely available or permitted in Canada yet.