The Solar Contract Exit Starter Kit

General information, not legal advice. SGI is not a law firm. Your contract and your state's law control, and results vary. For decisions about stopping payments, disputing a debt or filing a legal claim, talk to a licensed attorney in your state.

Regret a solar lease, PPA or loan? Before you call anyone, get organized. This kit walks you through the documents to gather, the questions to put in writing, and the places homeowners can turn for help.

Step 1: Figure out what you actually signed

Write down the company that sold the system, the company that bills you today, and the lender or owner named in the contract. After installer bankruptcies, these are often three different companies.

Step 2: Gather your documents

• ☐ The full signed contract, including every page and any amendments or change orders
• ☐ The cancellation notice and any disclosure forms you were given at signing
• ☐ Any sales proposal, savings estimate or production estimate the salesperson showed you
• ☐ Texts, emails or notes about what the salesperson promised
• ☐ Your last 12 months of solar bills or loan statements
• ☐ Your last 12 months of utility bills (before and after the install, if you have them)
• ☐ Monitoring app screenshots showing what the system actually produces
• ☐ Photos and dates of any roof leak, damage or unfinished work
• ☐ Letters about your account being transferred to a new servicer
• ☐ Any title report or notice showing a UCC-1 or fixture filing on your home

Step 3: Put your questions in writing

Phone calls are easy to forget and hard to prove. Send these questions by email, secure message, or certified mail, and keep copies.

1. Who owns my contract today, and who services it?
2. Please send a complete copy of my signed contract and all amendments.
3. What is my current balance, payoff amount or buyout price? How is it calculated, and what is the good-through date?
4. Does my contract allow a transfer to a home buyer? What does the buyer need to do?
5. Which production guarantee and warranty terms will you honor?
6. Is there a UCC-1 or fixture filing tied to my account? Where was it filed?

Simple request letter (copy and edit)

Re: Solar account [account or system number], [property address]

I am requesting the following within 30 days: (1) a complete copy of my signed agreement and all amendments; (2) the name of the current owner and servicer of the agreement; (3) a written payoff or buyout quote with its calculation and good-through date; and (4) the location and filing number of any UCC financing statement related to my account.

Please reply in writing to [your mailing address or email].

[Your name], [date]

Step 4: Know where homeowners can complain

• The company itself. Use its written complaint or customer-care channel first, and keep a log of dates and names.
• The CFPB takes complaints about loans and debt collection: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/
• The FTC collects reports about deceptive sales: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/
• Your state Attorney General's consumer protection office. Several attorneys general have taken action on solar sales and lending. See our state pages for Texas, California, Florida, Connecticut, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Ohio, Michigan and Kentucky.
• Your state contractor licensing board, if the installer did poor or unfinished work.

Step 5: Don't make these mistakes

• Don't just stop paying without advice. Missed payments can lead to late fees, collections and credit reporting.
• Don't sign a new agreement (refinance, "upgrade," or battery add-on) to fix a bad one without reading it fully.
• Don't wait until closing to deal with a solar contract when you sell your home. Transfers and payoffs take time.
• Don't pay anyone who guarantees a cancellation. No honest service can guarantee how a company, lender or court will respond.

Free guides for specific situations

• Sunnova went bankrupt: what happens to my lease or loan
• SunPower went bankrupt: your lease, PPA, loan or warranty
• SunStrong Management: what customers need to know
• Solar Servicing LLC (formerly Mosaic)
• GoodLeap won't let buyer assume loan
• Selling a house with a solar lien

How Unstuck Solar can help

SGI can help review your contract and your options. Not a law firm. We'll tell you when you need one. Results vary.

Tell us about your contract →