The short version: Did you know solar sales got so bad that states are now passing laws about what a solar rep is allowed to say to you? Not laws about the panels. Laws about the pitch. Two states did it this year, and one of the new rules starts today. If you already signed, these rules show you what you should have been told.
They are not writing rules about the panels
They are writing rules about the sales pitch.
Sit with that for a second.
A state does not step in and write rules about what a person says at your door. Not unless people were getting hurt. A lot of people.
Two states did it this year. Arizona in June. Texas today.
Texas: the rep at your door has to sign up with the state
Starting today, anyone who sells home solar in Texas has to sign up with the state first.
Not just the company. The person at your door too.
No sign up, no selling. That is the rule now.
Texas also turned on its power to punish bad sales tactics. That power was already written down. It just was not switched on until today.
Sal says: If a state has to make solar reps sign their names on a list, ask yourself what was happening when nobody had to.
Arizona: put it in bold, and make them initial it
Arizona started its new rules in June.
Now the paperwork has to show you, in bold print:
The full price. Every fee. What you pay and when. You have to initial that part all by itself.
How they got the savings number. Which power rate they used. How much they think your bill will go up over the years. How much power they think your panels will make.
A warning, in big capital letters, that power rates change and tax credits change.
Arizona added a roof rule too.
Say your roof needs work in ten years. Someone has to take the panels off. Then put them back on. That bill is yours.
And taking them off can kill the warranty on your system.
You now have to sign that you understand that. Because for years, people did not.
The right most people in Texas do not know they have
This one has been law since last September. It works right now.
In Texas you can cancel a home solar deal within five business days.
You do it in writing. You pay no penalty. You owe nothing else.
The paperwork has to tell you the last day you can cancel. It has to give you the address or email to send it to.
Now here is the big one.
If a bank is tied to your deal, that bank has to cancel your loan when you cancel.
Read that again.
Normally the solar company disappears and the loan stays. You keep paying for years. Texas wrote a rule that stops that.
Sal says: Five business days goes fast. If you signed this week, count the days today. Not tomorrow.
The fine is four times bigger if you are over 65
Texas set the normal fine at $2,500.
But if the buyer is over 65, that fine jumps to $10,000.
Four times bigger. For the same thing.
A state does not do that for one age group by accident. They did it because older folks were the ones getting cheated.
One catch
The state is not checking the paperwork part yet.
That starts November 1.
Your right to cancel still works. The sign up rule still works. Those are live today.
But right now, nobody is making a rep hand you the full packet.
So you have to ask for it.
What you should have been told
Here is the list. It works no matter where you live. These are the things two states just decided a rep cannot skip.
The full price, every fee, and what you pay each month
How they got the savings number, and how much they think your bill will go up
That power rates change, and tax credits change
That roof work means paying to take your panels off and put them back
That taking the panels off can kill your warranty
The name and license number of the electrician doing the work
Who shows up when the system breaks
What the loan does to your house
If you signed and nobody told you these things, that was not your fault.
Two states just agreed with you.
Sal says: If a rule had to be written to make them say it out loud, ask why they were not saying it.
"Great. But I already got ripped off."
That is probably what you are thinking right now.
Great for the next guy. Too late for me.
Here is the good news. It is not too late.
These new rules protect the people signing today. That is true. But it does not mean your deal gets a free pass.
If your rep left things out, that did not go away because you signed two years ago. It is still sitting in your paperwork. And your paperwork can be looked at.
The part that matters is doing something about it. And doing it now.
Some rights come with a clock on them. Wait long enough and your choices get smaller.
What you can do
If you live in Texas, you can check if your rep is signed up with the state. You can also file a complaint at tdlr.texas.gov/complaints or call (800) 803-9202.
If you signed in Texas in the last five business days, you may still be able to cancel. In writing.
And if you signed years ago, in any state, you can still have someone look at what you signed.
Get your free Solar Relief Call →
Because the rules changed for the people signing today, and nobody is going back to check what you were told when you signed.
Where this comes from: the Texas Residential Solar Retailer Regulatory Act (Senate Bill 1036), the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation notice dated August 21, 2026, and Arizona Senate Bill 1419, in effect June 19, 2026.