Misled about solar
in Hawaii? You have options.

If you were misled, you have options

Being told your bill would disappear, that the system was free, that a tax credit would pay off the loan, or that you were only signing up for an inspection can all matter, even long after a cancellation window has closed.

1. Your state's consumer protection law. Every state has a law against deceptive and unfair business practices. False promises about savings, costs, tax credits, or who you were dealing with may fall under Hawaii's law.
2. Missing paperwork and disclosures. Many states require specific disclosures and a written cancellation notice. If you never received them, a deadline may not have started, or the contract may have other problems.
3. Your lender may share responsibility. When a seller arranges your financing, federal rules often let you raise the same claims against the lender that you have against the seller, up to the amount you paid. Check your loan for a notice about the FTC Holder Rule.
4. Official complaints. Complaints to Hawaii's agencies are free, create a record, and can lead to mediation or an investigation.
5. Professional help. A solar attorney or solar exit company can review your documents and tell you which of these options fit your situation.

Your right to cancel

Conditions that matter

• Cancel in writing. Mail or deliver the signed and dated cancellation form, or any other written notice, to the seller's place of business by midnight of the deadline on the form. Keep a copy.
• Within 10 business days of getting your notice, the seller must refund all payments, return any trade-in, cancel any note you signed, and end any security interest. If the work altered your property, the seller must restore it.
• Does not apply when the deal followed earlier negotiations at the seller's retail business, for a true emergency where you signed a handwritten waiver, or for sales handled entirely by mail or phone. Hawaii's consumer agency says a sale you initiated is not covered, and a Hawaii court found a roofer approached at a home show had not solicited the sale.
• The seller must tell you about the right out loud and give you a cancellation form. A contract term that waives the right is not allowed.

Canceling one agreement does not always cancel another. A separate loan, lease, or power purchase agreement can have its own terms, so check each document you signed. If the sale was made in Spanish or another language, read your rights when a contract is not in your language. To compare deadlines, see the cancellation period in every state.

Laws that protect you in Hawaii

These are the state laws that come up most often in solar disputes here. Each one links to the official text or the agency that enforces it.

How your utility credits solar in Hawaii

Check your Hawaii solar contract

Pull out your paperwork and look for these. Anything missing is worth noting in a complaint or showing to an attorney.

• The contract was in writing and signed by both sides before work started.
• The contractor holds a Hawaii contractor license for solar work.
• The cost of the system is listed separately from any gifts or promotions.
• Your savings estimate reflects your tariff's export credit, not retail net metering.
• You received a cancellation form for a sale made at your home.

Where to get help in Hawaii

These are official agencies. Filing a complaint is free. An agency can investigate or mediate, but most cannot act as your lawyer or guarantee a refund.

Before you contact anyone

1. Gather every document you signed. The sales or installation agreement, any loan, lease, or power purchase agreement, and any change orders.
2. Identify each company. The seller, installer, lender, and current servicer may be different businesses. Your latest statement shows who services your account now.
3. Write down the timeline. When you were contacted, when you signed, when work started, and every promise made about savings or cost.
4. Keep proof of every notice. Save emails, certified mail receipts, and the date you sent anything.

Guides for your situation

• Every way out of a solar contract, from the cancellation window to a buyout
• Misled by a solar salesperson? What counts and what evidence helps
• How to get out of a solar loan, including the payment jump and dealer fees
• How to get out of a solar lease or a solar PPA
• What to do if your solar company went out of business

Questions to ask

• Which agreement am I trying to cancel or change, and who is the other party to it?
• What does my agreement say about cancellation, notice, and where to send it?
• Did the seller give me the cancellation notice and disclosures required in my state?
• Is my loan separate from my installation contract, and what happens to it if the contract is canceled?
• Was a dealer fee built into my loan? Estimate it with our calculator.

National resources

• FTC: Solar power for your home
• CFPB: Submit a complaint about a lender or servicer
• USAGov: State consumer protection offices

Other states

Solar rules change at the state line. See every state and the review status of each.