Your Delaware Solar Contract Is Costing You More Than You Were Told. Here's How to Fix It.
The short version: Most Delaware solar leases have an escalator clause. It raises your payment 2.9% every year. Over 25 years, a $150 payment grows to more than $300. Big solar companies that worked in Delaware have gone bankrupt. Sunnova Energy is one of them. If your solar panels aren't saving what you were told, you have real rights. Start with a free Solar Relief Assessment to see what's actually in your contract.
Delaware is a small state. But the solar sales teams that have been working your neighborhood don't care about state lines - they care about dense suburbs and homeowners who open the door.
The pitch was simple: "You're paying too much for electricity. We can fix that." And when the salesperson pulled up your Delmarva Power bill and showed you the numbers, it looked like a good deal. But the savings math on that kitchen table only works if the assumptions behind it are right. And for most Delaware homeowners, they weren't.
If your solar panels aren't saving you what you were promised, you're not imagining things. The problem is in the contract you signed. And you're not alone.
Your payments are going up. Your savings aren't coming through. And the company that made those promises? It might not exist anymore.
The Bigger Picture for Delaware Solar Homeowners
Delaware has not seen a named AG lawsuit against a solar installer yet. That doesn't mean Delaware homeowners are safe. Big solar companies have worked here too. The list includes Sunnova Energy, Vision Solar, and Freedom Forever. Some of these companies went bankrupt. Some were sued in other states. Some were both. The same contracts, the same sales tactics, the same escalator clauses — they're in Delaware homeowners' filing cabinets right now. Your state's consumer protection law covers solar sales just like any other deal.
What's actually in your Delaware solar contract
Here's what most Delaware homeowners don't find out until they've been paying for a year or two: the deal you signed isn't the deal you were sold.
Your salesperson told you solar would cut your Delmarva Power bill. But did they mention the escalator clause in your lease? That's the line that raises your payment every year - by as much as 2.9%. On a 25-year lease, that turns a $150 monthly payment into more than $300!
Did they mention that your savings projections were built on Delmarva Power's rates increasing at a pace your salesperson chose? If actual rate increases come in lower than projected, your savings erode. Every month. And your contract keeps running for another 20-plus years.
Did your salesperson mention Freedom Forever? Freedom Forever was one of the biggest solar installers in the country. They put in about 2 gigawatts of solar across 35 states. On April 15, 2026, they filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware. They owe $500 million to $1 billion. Between 50,000 and 100,000 people are owed money. Freedom Forever was still installing in Delaware when they filed. If Freedom Forever installed your system, your contract is still active. But the company behind your warranty is now in bankruptcy limbo.
Freedom Forever isn't alone. SolarInsure counted more than 100 solar company bankruptcies in 2024. SunPower filed Chapter 11 in August 2024. A company called Complete Solaria bought them. Sunnova Energy filed Chapter 11 in June 2025. Titan Solar Power filed Chapter 7 in June 2024. Pink Energy, Lumio Holdings, and Vision Solar are on the same list. When your installer goes bankrupt, your payments don't stop. Your contract doesn't cancel. But your warranty usually disappears.
Your rights under Delaware law
Delaware gives you real legal protections. Here's what your salesperson didn't explain.
Your 3-day cancellation window. If a solar salesperson came to your home and you signed the contract there, the federal FTC Cooling-Off Rule gives you 3 business days to cancel with no penalty. If your salesperson never told you about this right - and most don't - that affects the enforceability of your agreement. Pull out your contract. If there's no cancellation notice on the front page, that's your answer.
The Delaware Consumer Fraud Act. 6 Del. C. 2513 prohibits deceptive trade practices. If your solar company made false or misleading claims about your savings, system output, or contract terms, this statute covers your situation. Delaware's Attorney General Consumer Protection Unit tracks solar complaints and has the authority to investigate. In a state this small, complaints concentrate fast - and regulators notice.
Delmarva Power rate assumptions matter. Most Delaware homeowners get electricity from Delmarva Power. Your solar savings projections were built around Delmarva's rates increasing at a certain pace. If those rates haven't moved the way your salesperson projected, your actual savings are lower than what you were shown. Did your salesperson tell you what rate increase they assumed? If not, the savings picture they gave you was built on a number you never got to see.
Hidden dealer fees in your loan. Did you finance your solar system with a loan? If so, the lender probably added a dealer fee. These fees are usually 15 to 30 percent of your loan. They get hidden in your balance. You pay interest on money that went to the solar company. Not to your panels. Federal law (the Truth in Lending Act) says every fee must be clearly shown. If yours wasn't, that can be a legal violation.
What you can do right now
You don't have to figure this out alone. Here are the first steps for Delaware homeowners.
File a complaint with the Delaware Attorney General. Go to https://attorneygeneral.delaware.gov/fraud/cmu/complaint/. Or call (800) 220-5424. Filing is free. The AG's office reads every complaint.
Compare what the salesperson told you to what's in your contract. In most cases, the two don't match. That gap is what makes a case.
Pull your utility bills from the last 12 months. Add up what you're paying the utility plus what you're paying for solar. Compare that to what you'd pay the utility alone. If the numbers don't work, that's a real gap — not just a feeling.
Find the escalator clause and the dealer fee in your contract. These two lines cause the biggest gap between what you were sold and what you're paying. You can spot both by reading your own paperwork.
Every contract is different. But the first step is the same for everyone. Understand what you signed. Solar Home Advocate built the free Solar Relief Assessment for this exact moment. Someone walks through your contract with you in plain English. They tell you your options.
You Signed a Solar Contract in Delaware. Find Out What It's Actually Costing You.
Delaware homeowners have rights under both federal and state consumer protection law - and Delmarva Power's rate structure means your savings math deserves a second look. A free Solar Relief Assessment helps you understand what's in your contract, what went wrong, and what you can do about it for you and your family.
[Get free Solar Relief Assessment →](https://solarhomeadvocate.com/free-assessment?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=state-guide&utm_content=delaware)Get free Solar Relief Assessment →**
No charge. No obligation. No high-pressure pitch.
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"Sal says: A 2.9% escalator clause nearly doubles your payment over 25 years. Freedom Forever filed Chapter 11 in April 2026. If you signed a solar contract in Delaware, these facts hit your math and your warranty."
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are my rights if I signed a solar contract in Delaware?
Did a salesperson come to your home? If yes, you have a 3-day right to cancel. That's under 6 Del. C. §4401 et seq. (Home Solicitation Sales Act) and the federal FTC Cooling-Off Rule. Delaware also has Delaware Consumer Fraud Act (6 Del. C. §2511 et seq.). That law covers unfair or deceptive sales tactics. You can file a complaint with the Delaware Attorney General. Go to https://attorneygeneral.delaware.gov/fraud/cmu/complaint/ or call (800) 220-5424. If your salesperson didn't tell you about the 3-day cancel rule, that can affect your contract.
Which solar companies in Delaware have faced legal trouble?
Several big ones. Companies that worked in Delaware include Sunnova Energy, Vision Solar, Freedom Forever. Some of these went bankrupt. Some were sued in other states. Some were both. If your system came from one of these companies, your contract may still be valid. But the warranty and service behind your system is usually gone.
How does the escalator clause affect my Delaware solar contract?
Most Delaware solar leases have an escalator clause. It raises your payment about 2.9% every year. On a 25-year lease, a $150 payment grows to more than $300. Delaware's average electricity rate is about 16.51 cents per kilowatt-hour in early 2026. That's close to the national average of 17.45 cents. Utility rates haven't always gone up 2.9% a year. So your solar payment can climb faster than your would-be utility bill. Your savings shrink instead of grow.
What happens if my Delaware solar company went bankrupt?
SolarInsure counted more than 100 solar company bankruptcies in 2024. Big names include SunPower (Aug 2024), Sunnova Energy (June 2025), Titan Solar Power (June 2024), Freedom Forever (April 15, 2026), Pink Energy (Oct 2022), and Vision Solar (Dec 2023). If your installer went bankrupt, your contract still stands. Your payments still go out. But the workmanship warranty usually dies with the company. The panel maker's warranty (often 25 years) still exists. But filing a claim without an active installer is hard.
Can I cancel my Delaware solar contract?
Did the salesperson come to your home? Then Delaware law gives you 3 business days to cancel. That's under 6 Del. C. §4401 et seq. (Home Solicitation Sales Act) and the federal FTC Cooling-Off Rule. If those 3 days have passed, you may still have options. Did they skip the cancel notice? Did they use deceptive sales tactics? Did your loan hide fees? Any of those can open a path to cancel. It depends on your specific contract and how it was sold.
What are hidden dealer fees on a Delaware solar loan?
Solar finance companies add dealer fees of 15 to 30 percent to your loan. They roll the fee into the principal. They don't list it separately. That means you pay interest on fee money that went to the solar company. Not to your panels. The federal Truth in Lending Act says every fee must be listed clearly. A hidden fee can be a federal violation. That's one of the strongest paths to renegotiate or exit a solar loan.
How do I file a solar complaint in Delaware?
Go to the Delaware Attorney General's website at https://attorneygeneral.delaware.gov/fraud/cmu/complaint/. Or call (800) 220-5424. Filing is free. Write down what the salesperson told you at the sale. Save your contract. Save any texts, emails, and voicemails with the installer. If you have a solar loan, keep your loan paperwork. A formal complaint creates a record. That record strengthens any legal review later.