The short answer
- Before you sign, the company must give you the Solar Energy System Disclosure Document on the front of the contract, in the language of the sales pitch (B&P Code §7169).
- SCE and SDG&E customers must also sign the CPUC's Solar Consumer Protection Guide; the utility won't connect the system without it (CPUC).
- You can cancel within 3 business days of getting a signed copy, or 5 if you're 65 or older (B&P Code §7159).
- The down payment may not exceed $1,000 or 10% of the price, whichever is less.
The three documents
- The disclosure document (CSLB and CPUC, in 16-point bold): total cost and payments including financing, complaint procedures and cancellation rights. CSLB publishes it in English and Spanish, in 3-day and 5-day (senior) versions (CSLB).
- The contract, with the start and completion dates, equipment, price and payment schedule.
- The CPUC Solar Consumer Protection Guide (7 pages, Version 4 from Oct 2025; contracts signed on or after Dec 15, 2026 must use Version 4). You initial that you got the disclosure, that any savings estimate used no more than the CPUC's average rate increase, and that you could sign on paper. It's in nine languages (CPUC).
Your right to cancel
"You, the buyer, have the right to cancel this contract within three business days" after receiving a signed and dated copy; five for buyers 65 or older (§7159). Cancel in writing and keep proof of when you sent it.
Leases, PPAs and liens
The CPUC warns that providers "may place liens on your property", and that missing payments "could result in foreclosure or make it more difficult to sell your home or refinance." Lease and PPA payments typically rise 1% to 3% a year. When you sell, the buyer must take over the agreement, you keep paying, or you buy it out, which can cost thousands (CPUC).
PACE financing
PACE loans are repaid through your property tax bill over 10–30 years. Program administrators are licensed by the DFPI and must confirm your ability to pay and review key terms with you by phone, in your language, with no salesperson on the line (DFPI). Some mortgage lenders won't lend to buyers of homes with PACE liens, so it can complicate a sale.
If something goes wrong
- Contractor problems: file with CSLB, which takes "all complaints against solar contractors, whether licensed or unlicensed" (solar complaint form).
- Financing problems: the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (dfpi.ca.gov).
- CSLB's one-time solar restitution fund ($5 million, 2021) has been used up and closed.
- The CPUC lists companies that haven't followed the guide rules at cpuc.ca.gov/solarpubliclist.
Checked against official sources on Oct 1, 2026. Sources are linked in the text. Not legal, tax or financial advice.