Your Virginia Solar Contract Is Costing You More Than You Were Told. Here's How to Fix It.
The short version: Most Virginia 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. On January 16, 2026, Virginia AG Jason Miyares sued the founders of Pink Energy. Big solar companies that worked in Virginia have gone bankrupt. Titan Solar Power 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.
There is a line in your solar contract that your salesperson in Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads, or Richmond never mentioned. It raises your payment every year. And the savings projection they showed you? It was built on an assumption about where Dominion Energy rates were headed - an assumption that may not have held up.
Your payments are going up. Your savings aren't coming through. And the company that knocked on your door and made those promises? They might not exist anymore.
Pink Energy had operations in Virginia before going bankrupt in October 2022. Titan Solar Power filed Chapter 7 in June 2024. SunPower filed Chapter 11 in August 2024 and was acquired by Complete Solaria. Sunnova - one of the largest residential solar companies in the country - filed Chapter 11 in June 2025. More than 100 solar companies filed for bankruptcy in 2024 alone, according to SolarInsure.
If you're a Virginia homeowner and your solar panels aren't saving you what you were told they would, this is your guide to understanding what went wrong and what you can do about it.
The Virginia Attorney General Is Watching Solar
On January 16, 2026, Virginia AG Jason Miyares sued the founders of Pink Energy. He also sued the lenders that financed Pink Energy's customers. The complaint: the founders misrepresented savings and hid loan fees. This is a post-bankruptcy case. It goes after the people behind the company, not the company itself. Virginia also joined the November 2022 state AG letter to five solar lenders.
This matters to you. State enforcement agencies have put it on the record. The same sales tactics used on Virginia 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 Virginia solar contract
Here's what most Virginia 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 lower your electric bill. But did they mention the escalator clause buried in your lease agreement? 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 tell you what assumptions their savings projection was built on? If they assumed Dominion Energy or Appalachian Power rates would climb at a certain pace and those rates haven't kept up, the savings gap they showed you was never real. The projection looked good on paper. Your electric bill tells a different story.
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 Virginia 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 Virginia law
Virginia gives you real legal protections. Here's what your salesperson almost certainly didn't explain.
Your 3-day cancellation window. Virginia's Home Solicitation Sales Act (Va. Code §59.1-21.1 et seq.) gives you 3 business days to cancel a contract signed at your home. This is in addition to the federal FTC Cooling-Off Rule. If you weren't told about this right - and most homeowners aren'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.
Virginia Consumer Protection Act. Va. Code §59.1-196 et seq. prohibits deceptive trade practices. If your solar company made misleading claims about savings, system performance, or contract terms, this statute applies. The Virginia Attorney General's Consumer Protection Section investigates complaints - and solar complaints are rising.
Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power rate assumptions. Your savings projections were built around your utility's rates. If Dominion or Appalachian Power rates haven't climbed as your salesperson assumed, the savings math doesn't hold up. This is one of the most common gaps between what Virginia homeowners were told and what they're experiencing. Did your salesperson show you what happens to your savings if rates stay flat? If not, you were only shown the best-case scenario.
Net metering credits. Virginia's net metering rules affect how much credit you receive for excess solar energy. If your savings projections were based on net metering terms that your salesperson overstated, the actual returns are lower than what was promised.
Hidden dealer fees are a red flag in solar loans. Solar finance companies add dealer fees of 15 to 30 percent. They roll these fees into your loan balance. They don't list them as a separate charge. The federal Truth in Lending Act says every fee must be shown in writing. A hidden or mislabeled fee can be a legal violation. You've been paying interest on a fee nobody explained to you.
What you can do right now
You don't have to figure this out alone. Here are the first steps for Virginia homeowners.
File a complaint with the Virginia Attorney General. Go to https://www.oag.state.va.us/consumercomplaintform/form/start. Or call 1-800-552-9963. 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 Virginia. Find Out What It's Actually Costing You.
Virginia homeowners have rights under both Virginia's Home Solicitation Sales Act and the state Consumer Protection Act - and your utility rate assumptions deserve a hard 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=virginia)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 Virginia, 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 Virginia?
Did a salesperson come to your home? If yes, you have a 3-day right to cancel. That's under Va. Code §59.1-21.1 et seq. (Home Solicitation Sales Act) and the federal FTC Cooling-Off Rule. Virginia also has Virginia Consumer Protection Act (Va. Code §59.1-196 et seq.). That law covers unfair or deceptive sales tactics. You can file a complaint with the Virginia Attorney General. Go to https://www.oag.state.va.us/consumercomplaintform/form/start or call 1-800-552-9963. If your salesperson didn't tell you about the 3-day cancel rule, that can affect your contract.
Has Virginia sued any solar companies?
Yes. On January 16, 2026, Virginia AG Jason Miyares sued the founders of Pink Energy. He also sued the lenders that financed Pink Energy's customers. The complaint: the founders misrepresented savings and hid loan fees. This is a post-bankruptcy case. It goes after the people behind the company, not the company itself. Virginia also joined the November 2022 state AG letter to five solar lenders.
How does the escalator clause affect my Virginia solar contract?
Most Virginia 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. Virginia's average electricity rate is about 15.87 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 Virginia 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 Virginia solar contract?
Did the salesperson come to your home? Then Virginia law gives you 3 business days to cancel. That's under Va. Code §59.1-21.1 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 Virginia 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 Virginia?
Go to the Virginia Attorney General's website at https://www.oag.state.va.us/consumercomplaintform/form/start. Or call 1-800-552-9963. 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.