Solar Robocalls: When Solar Sales Calls Cross the Line

What solar sales calls sound like

Solar calls usually open with your electric bill. A recording or a live caller says you qualify for a “state program” or “zero-cost solar,” that the government or the utility will pay for panels, or that rates in your area are about to rise. You are asked to confirm you own your home and how much your bill is. Then someone offers to send a “specialist” for a free assessment.

The caller is often not the installer. Solar marketing runs through lead generators that qualify homeowners and pass appointments to installers. In the Sunrun settlement described below, the class included calls advertising a separate marketer, Clean Energy Experts. That structure helps you: the installer that benefits is usually a real company with a name, even when the dialer is not.

What federal agencies warn about

The U.S. Treasury Department, working with the CFPB and the FTC, published a consumer advisory titled “Solar Energy Scams are Against the Law.” It says regulators have seen more complaints about a small number of solar companies, with people reporting they were “deceived about costs and savings, misled about loans and tax credits, and pressured by aggressive sales and marketing tactics.” It points consumers to ReportFraud.ftc.gov and the CFPB for complaints.

The pitch that the government will pay for everything is the one to be most careful with. Real federal and state programs exist, but they come with eligibility rules, and a cold call is not how you apply.

Which rules solar callers break

• Recorded or artificial voice. A prerecorded or AI-voiced sales call to your cell phone or home line requires your prior express written consent (47 C.F.R. 64.1200(a)(2) and (a)(3)).
• Do Not Call Registry. More than one sales call in 12 months from or for the same company to a registered number supports a claim under 47 U.S.C. 227(c)(5). This applies to live callers too.
• Ignoring “stop.” A seller must honor your do-not-call request within ten business days (64.1200(d)(3)).
• Calling hours. No solicitations before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. your local time (64.1200(c)(1)).

Solar TCPA settlements on record

Lucero v. SolarCity Corp. (N.D. Cal., No. 3:15-cv-05107-RS). The case alleged marketing calls made by or for SolarCity without consent, including robocalls using a “computer voice imitating a live call center representative.” The class covered people who got calls on cell phones between November 6, 2011 and October 16, 2017 on SolarCity’s behalf, or at least two telemarketing calls in a 12-month period while on a do-not-call list. The $15 million settlement received final approval on February 1, 2018. Checks issued starting in June 2018 were reported at about $94.91.

Slovin v. Sunrun Inc. (N.D. Cal., No. 4:15-cv-05340). The case alleged automated, prerecorded telemarketing calls promoting solar products without consent. The class covered people who received calls advertising Sunrun or Clean Energy Experts between November 20, 2011 and August 31, 2018 on cell phones or while on the Do Not Call Registry. The $5.5 million settlement received final approval on July 19, 2019, with estimated payments of $100 to $250 per claim.

Both settlements are closed. They matter now because they show two patterns that repeat: a brand-name installer paying for calls placed by or through marketing partners, and classes built around the Do Not Call Registry.

When a solar call is probably not a claim

• You asked an installer for a quote, gave your number, and it called you back with a live person.
• A single call, with no recording, to a number that is not on the Registry.
• A door-to-door visit. Aggressive, maybe, but the TCPA covers calls and texts.
• You cannot learn which installer or lead company was behind the call.

How to document solar calls

1. Get the installer’s name. If you agree to an appointment, the company that shows up or emails a confirmation is your lead. You can cancel after you have the name.
2. Save recordings and voicemails. A synthetic or recorded voice changes the claim.
3. Ask where they got your number. If they name a website or a form you supposedly filled out, write it down.
4. Write down promises about free panels, government programs or utility partnerships. They matter if you later sign anything.
5. Log each call. Our call evidence log keeps dates and companies straight.

If you already signed a solar contract after a high-pressure call and feel misled, keep all paperwork and file complaints with the FTC and CFPB, as the Treasury advisory suggests. That is a separate issue from the calls themselves.

What to do next about solar sales calls

Confirm your number is on the Do Not Call Registry, tell each caller to stop, and write down the installer name. When one company, or its marketer, calls you twice or more in a year, check the Do Not Call rules and read how installers can be liable for their marketers’ calls. Then request a free case review. If several solar companies are involved, a lawyer can sort out which calls tie to which seller.