Subcommittee reports substitute to require clearer contracts for residential solar projects
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Summary
HB 1439 substitute would create a consumer-disclosure form and minimum contract elements for residential solar sales, aiming to curb predatory contracts and improve transparency. The subcommittee reported the substitute unanimously after industry and consumer groups supported the measure.
Delegate Shin presented a substitute for HB 14 39, the “solar consumer protection act,” which he said was developed with solar-industry leaders and the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR). The substitute would require common disclosure elements in residential-solar contracts — system specifications, costs, financing options, maintenance expectations, and a consumer’s right to cancel — and would create a uniform disclosure form to improve transparency.
Brandon Pralu of Solar United Neighbors told the committee the bill is a “first step” to protect consumers and address predatory practices that have emerged as residential-solar installations have grown. Industry representatives including Advanced Energy United and the Solar Energy Industries Association also expressed support for the substitute, saying they helped craft the language and welcomed clearer contracting standards.
Committee members asked whether the substitute created a single standardized contract or required contract elements; the patron said it sets required elements but not a single template. DPOR’s suggested changes were described as incorporated into the substitute.
The subcommittee reported the substitute unanimously (6–0) and sent it forward.