Virginia at a glance

Virginia passed a solar consumer protection law in 2026 that takes effect January 1, 2027. It requires a state disclosure form, specific contract terms, and a five business day right to cancel without penalty, with fines up to $2,500 per willful violation. Until then, the general three business day door-to-door rule applies. Virginia keeps annual net metering, and the regulator kept the core structure in place in its 2026 Dominion decision.

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 Virginia'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 Virginia'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.

Not sure which option fits? Tell us what happened and we will help you see your options. It takes about two minutes.

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Your right to cancel

Virginia cancellation window

3 business days

Under the Virginia Home Solicitation Sales Act, you can cancel a sale or lease solicited at your home until midnight of the third business day after you sign.

Source: Va. Code §59.1-21.3 · Checked November 7, 2026

Conditions that matter

  • Cancel in writing at the seller's address in the agreement. No special form is needed, and a mailed notice counts once it is properly addressed, stamped, and mailed.
  • The seller must return your payments and any note or loan paperwork within 10 days after you cancel.
  • If the seller did not clearly identify itself as a seller or misrepresented the purpose of the visit, you have a total of 30 days to cancel (Va. Code §59.1-21.7).
  • This law covers sales solicited at your home without a prior invitation or appointment, and excludes sales made after earlier negotiations with the seller. A solar visit you booked in advance may not be covered, so check your contract's cancellation terms.

Starting January 1, 2027, a new solar law (Va. Code §54.1-1117.1) gives you five business days after signing to cancel a residential solar sale, lease, or power purchase agreement without penalty, and requires the contract to state the exact deadline and how to cancel.

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 Virginia

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.

Va. Code §54.1-1117.1 (effective January 1, 2027)

Solar sale, lease, and PPA requirements (HB 1439 / SB 823)

Contracts must state the company's license information, payment amounts and schedule, system design, and any production guarantees. Loan fees and dealer fees must be disclosed when the installer arranges financing. You can cancel within five business days without penalty, and the contract must state the exact date and time that right ends. Equipment changes require notice within five business days.

DPOR Solar Energy System Disclosure Form

State solar disclosure form

The Board for Contractors' standard form must be signed before the contract, with each page initialed. The installer must keep it for five years.

Va. Code §59.1-21.3

Home solicitation sales

For contracts signed at home before the new law takes effect, you can cancel within three business days.

How your utility credits solar in Virginia

Annual net metering; Dominion's new export rate applies only to year-end surplus

Virginia nets solar over a full year. In 2026 the State Corporation Commission approved Dominion's revised net metering tariff but kept the core structure: new customers still offset their use at retail and carry excess forward as kilowatt-hour credits for 12 months. Only true surplus at the end of the year is paid at the new export rate of about 5.8 cents per kWh. Existing customers keep their current terms.

Source: Va. Code §56-594

Check your Virginia solar contract

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

  • For contracts on or after January 1, 2027: you received the state disclosure form and initialed every page.
  • The contract shows the exact date and time your cancellation right ends.
  • Dealer and loan fees are listed if the installer arranged financing.
  • The installer's Virginia contractor license number is on the contract.
  • The system is sized to your yearly use, since year-end surplus earns a lower rate.

Where to get help in Virginia

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.

Installer and contractor complaints

Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR)

Handles complaints against licensed contractors through the Board for Contractors. File within three years. DPOR cannot order refunds.

Visit the official page 804-367-8504

Consumer protection

Virginia Attorney General, Consumer Protection Section

Accepts complaints against businesses, offers voluntary mediation, and reviews patterns that may warrant enforcement. From outside Virginia call 804-786-2042.

Visit the official page 1-800-552-9963

Utility billing and service

Virginia State Corporation Commission, Division of Public Utility Regulation

For state-regulated utilities. Contact your utility first. Municipal utilities are not covered.

Visit the official page 1-800-552-7945

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

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.

Virginia solar questions

When does Virginia's five-day cancellation right start?

It applies to residential solar sales, leases, and PPAs under the new law effective January 1, 2027. Contracts signed earlier at home follow the three business day home solicitation rule.

Did Virginia cut net metering?

Not for the core structure. The 2026 Dominion decision kept annual netting at retail. The new, lower export rate only applies to surplus left after a full year.

Who regulates solar installers in Virginia?

The Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation's Board for Contractors. The Attorney General's Consumer Protection Section handles deceptive sales.

National resources

General information, not legal advice.

This page can’t tell you whether a right applies to your agreement. For that, contact a licensed attorney or the agencies above.

Other states

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