Homeowner Stories — Solar Contract Experiences

"I was told my electric bill would be eliminated. Two years later I was paying $280 a month for solar on top of a $180 electric bill. Nobody told me that was even possible."

Robert signed a 25-year solar loan after a salesperson told him his utility bill would drop to nearly zero. His system was undersized for his home's actual energy use. After a review of his contract and the original sales proposal, we identified significant discrepancies between what he was promised and what was delivered.

"We tried to sell our house and found out there was a UCC lien we never knew about. Our buyers' lender wouldn't approve the mortgage until it was resolved. We almost lost the sale."

Sandra and Tom discovered a UCC-1 financing statement on their property only when they listed their home for sale. They had not been informed of the filing when they signed their solar loan. The lien created complications with the buyer's mortgage approval and nearly derailed the transaction.

"The salesman told me the federal tax credit would bring my loan payment down after the first year. I didn't qualify for the full credit. My payment jumped $180 a month and nobody warned me."

David was told during the sales process that a federal tax credit would be applied to reduce his loan balance, lowering his monthly payment. He did not receive the full credit amount, and his payment increased substantially after the first year. His original loan documents contained provisions about this that were not clearly explained.

"The solar company went out of business six months after my installation. My system had problems and there was nobody to call. I was stuck paying for something that barely worked."

Maria's solar installer ceased operations shortly after completing her installation. When her system began underperforming, she had no recourse through the original company. Her monitoring data showed production significantly below the levels promised in her original proposal.

"We're retired and on a fixed income. The salesperson told us solar would save us money every month. We're paying more now than before we had solar. We feel completely taken advantage of."

James and Patricia were approached by a door-to-door solar salesperson who represented that their monthly energy costs would decrease significantly. After installation, their combined solar payment and remaining utility bill exceeded their previous utility costs. The original proposal contained savings estimates that did not reflect their actual usage patterns.

"I asked specifically about what would happen if I sold my house. I was told it would be easy to transfer. When I actually tried to sell, my realtor told me it was a major problem."

Kevin specifically asked about the home sale process before signing his solar agreement and was told the agreement would transfer easily to a new buyer. When he listed his home, his real estate agent identified the solar agreement as a significant obstacle. Multiple buyers declined to proceed after learning about the agreement's terms.