Connecticut rewrote its rules for solar sales.
Some parts apply now. Others arrive in 2027 and 2028.

Connecticut’s new solar consumer law is Public Act 26-16, which began as Senate Bill 233 and was approved on May 19, 2026. Most of it took effect on October 1, 2026. It adds home solar systems of 25 kilowatts or less, and home battery storage, on one- to four-unit homes to the state’s Home Solicitation Sales Act.

Other parts phase in through February 2028: limits on door-knocking hours in 2027, then seller ID cards and a state consumer handbook in 2028.

Who and what the law covers

The cancellation and sales rules apply to residential solar photovoltaic systems with a nameplate rating of 25 kilowatts or less installed on the roof of a single-family home or a building with two to four units, and to residential battery storage systems. The law calls the companies that sell them residential solar or energy storage sellers, and it covers their authorized sales representatives too.

The payoff rule reaches further. It applies to any company that, in the ordinary course of business, makes a residential solar or storage loan, leases a system to you, or sells you the power under a residential power purchase agreement. That includes finance companies that never set foot in your home.

What starts when

The law has three main start dates. The rules that protect you after you sign are already in force.

What applies now

• Three business days to cancel. For a covered home solicitation sale, such as a deal pitched at your home, you can cancel until midnight of the third business day after you sign. Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays do not count. Send written notice to the address in the agreement.
• No waivers. A contract cannot make you give up these rights.
• Refunds. After a valid cancellation, the seller must return your payments within ten business days.
• Penalties. Violations carry a civil penalty of up to $500 each and are treated as unfair trade practices under state law.
• Payoff statements. Solar lenders, lessors, and PPA providers must send a payoff statement or transfer documents within seven days of your written request. If they miss that deadline, they must credit your account $250.

That last rule helps anyone selling a home with solar. See selling a house with a solar lease.

Door-knocking hours from February 15, 2027

Starting February 15, 2027, solar and battery sellers and their sales representatives may not make in-person sales visits to your home before 9 a.m. or after 7 p.m. Eastern time. A town ordinance can set stricter hours. You can still schedule a meeting outside those hours if you choose.

If a solar salesperson knocks before 9 a.m. or after 7 p.m. once this rule starts, you do not have to open the door or talk. Note the date, time, and company, and report it to the Department of Consumer Protection.

By the same date, sellers must start reporting to the Department of Consumer Protection the companies they partner with for financing, installation, and similar services that involve in-person contact with customers.

Seller IDs and a state handbook from 2028

The Department of Consumer Protection must write a consumer handbook by December 31, 2027 and post it by January 15, 2028. It will explain how to judge sales claims and the penalties for breaking the law.

Starting February 15, 2028, sellers and their representatives must:

• Carry a current ID card during every in-person sales visit, showing the seller’s name or the representative’s name.
• Hand you a copy of the handbook at the start of the first in-person visit, or before you sign if there was no visit.

What Connecticut homeowners can do now

• If you signed in the last few business days, count carefully and cancel in writing if you want out. Our cancellation letter can help.
• If you are selling or refinancing, request a payoff statement in writing and note the date.
• If a seller ignored a cancellation or pressured you, file a complaint with the Department of Consumer Protection. Contacts are on our Connecticut solar law page.
• If you signed before October 1, 2026, the new solar coverage may not apply to your contract. Your rights depend on the law and contract terms in place when you signed.
• Keep a simple log of any sales visit: the date, the time, the company, and the name the salesperson gave. Once the hours and ID rules start, that record is what a complaint will rely on.

If you think you were misled at the kitchen table, read misled by a solar salesperson and tell us what happened.

Keep reading

• Connecticut solar law and agency contacts
• Sunrun’s Connecticut settlement
• Solar cancellation letter