Your Hawaii Solar Contract Isn't Saving What You Were Promised. Here's What You Can Do About It.
The short version: Most Hawaii solar leases have an escalator clause. It raises your payment 2.9% every year. Over 25 years, a $150 payment grows to more than $300. The Hawaii AG issued a public warning about solar scams. Big solar companies that worked in Hawaii have gone bankrupt. Sunnova Energy is one of them. If your solar panels aren't saving what you were told, you have real rights. Start with a free Solar Relief Assessment to see what's actually in your contract.
Hawaii homeowners pay more for electricity than anyone in the country. That's exactly what the solar salesperson told you at your door. And that's exactly why you signed.
But here's what they didn't tell you: the rules changed after you signed. Hawaii eliminated traditional net metering. The credits you were counting on - the ones that made the whole deal work on paper - got cut. And your contract? It didn't change with them.
So now you're locked into payments based on a savings projection that no longer exists. Your solar company got paid. Your monthly bill didn't go down the way they promised. And the company that made those promises might not even be around anymore.
If you're a Hawaii homeowner and the solar math stopped working, there's a reason. And there's something you can do about it.
The Hawaii Attorney General Is Watching Solar
In 2025, three Hawaii state agencies issued a public warning. The warning came from the DBEDT, the Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority, and the DCCA Office of Consumer Protection. It covered deceptive door-to-door solar sales. In April 2025, the state warned again. Scammers were pretending to be from HGIA or the state's GEM$ solar program.
This matters to you. State enforcement agencies have put it on the record. The same sales tactics used on Hawaii homeowners are now named in court filings. If what your salesperson told you doesn't match your contract, you're not alone. You're not crazy. And you have options.
What's actually in your Hawaii solar contract
Here's what most Hawaii homeowners discover after a year or two of payments: the deal isn't working the way it was sold.
Your salesperson used Hawaii's sky-high electricity rates to make the solar pitch sound like a sure thing. But did they tell you about 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 takes a $150 monthly payment past $300. In a state where electricity is already expensive, that clause is costing you twice!
Did they explain that Hawaii was already transitioning away from net metering when you signed? Programs like Customer Grid-Supply and Smart Export pay you less for the energy your panels send back to the grid. If your savings projection assumed full retail-rate credits, those numbers were wrong from the start.
And did they mention what happens when your installer goes bankrupt? More than 100 solar companies filed for bankruptcy in 2024 alone, according to SolarInsure. SunPower. Titan Solar Power. Sunnova (Chapter 11, June 2025). When a Hawaii solar company goes under, getting service is harder than on the mainland. Parts take longer to arrive. Qualified technicians are scarcer. Your panels don't stop degrading just because there's nobody on-island to fix them.
Your rights under Hawaii law
Hawaii law gives you tools to fight back. Here's what your salesperson didn't explain.
Your 3-day cancellation window. The federal FTC Cooling-Off Rule gives you 3 business days to cancel any contract signed at your home. If your salesperson didn't tell you about this right - and most don't - that affects the enforceability of your Hawaii solar contract. Pull out your paperwork. If there's no cancellation notice on the front page, that tells you everything.
Hawaii's Unfair or Deceptive Acts or Practices law. HRS §480-2 prohibits unfair or deceptive business practices in Hawaii. If your solar company misrepresented savings, system performance, or contract terms, this statute applies. It covers verbal promises that never made it into writing, inflated projections used to close the sale, and failure to disclose material facts like the net metering transition. Hawaii courts take this law seriously.
Net metering changes and your contract. Hawaii transitioned from traditional net metering to programs like Customer Grid-Supply (CGS) and Smart Export. These changes cut the credits you receive for excess solar energy. If your contract was sold based on older, more generous rates, your actual returns are lower than what you were shown. Did your salesperson disclose that these changes were already underway? If not, your savings projection was built on numbers that were already outdated.
Island logistics after bankruptcy. When a solar installer leaves the Hawaii market or goes bankrupt, getting repairs or warranty work done is harder than anywhere on the mainland. Parts ship slower. Technicians are scarcer. Your contract doesn't pause for service delays, and your panels keep degrading whether or not anyone is maintaining them.
Hidden dealer fees in your loan. If you financed your Hawaii solar system through a loan, there is a good chance a dealer fee was added to your balance without being clearly explained. Under the federal Truth in Lending Act, every finance charge must be disclosed. If yours wasn't, that's a violation - and it means you've been paying interest on money that went to the solar company, not to your system.
What you can do right now
You don't have to figure this out alone. Here are the first steps for Hawaii homeowners.
File a complaint with the Hawaii Attorney General. Go to https://cca.hawaii.gov/ocp/consumer-complaint/. Or call 1-844-808-3222. 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 Hawaii. Find Out What It's Actually Costing You.
Hawaii homeowners have consumer protection rights under HRS §480-2, and the net metering changes that cut your credits weren't your fault. 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=hawaii)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. The Hawaii AG warned homeowners about solar scams. Sunnova Energy filed Chapter 11 in June 2025. If you signed a solar contract in Hawaii, 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 Hawaii?
Did a salesperson come to your home? If yes, you have a 3-day right to cancel. That's under HRS §481A et seq. and the federal FTC Cooling-Off Rule. Hawaii also has Hawaii Unfair and Deceptive Acts or Practices (HRS §480-2). That law covers unfair or deceptive sales tactics. You can file a complaint with the Hawaii Attorney General. Go to https://cca.hawaii.gov/ocp/consumer-complaint/ or call 1-844-808-3222. If your salesperson didn't tell you about the 3-day cancel rule, that can affect your contract.
Has Hawaii sued any solar companies?
Yes. In 2025, three Hawaii state agencies issued a public warning. The warning came from the DBEDT, the Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority, and the DCCA Office of Consumer Protection. It covered deceptive door-to-door solar sales. In April 2025, the state warned again. Scammers were pretending to be from HGIA or the state's GEM$ solar program.
How does the escalator clause affect my Hawaii solar contract?
Most Hawaii 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. Hawaii's average electricity rate is about 39.79 cents per kilowatt-hour in early 2026. That's well above the national average of 17.45 cents. Hawaii's utility rates are climbing fast. That makes your solar math a close call. 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 Hawaii 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 Hawaii solar contract?
Did the salesperson come to your home? Then Hawaii law gives you 3 business days to cancel. That's under HRS §481A et seq. 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 Hawaii 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 Hawaii?
Go to the Hawaii Attorney General's website at https://cca.hawaii.gov/ocp/consumer-complaint/. Or call 1-844-808-3222. 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.