Conservation Corner – July 2024

Empowering Solar Consumers

As many consider renewable energy sources, residential solar power systems have become a choice for some homeowners. But, as solar installations increase, the need for better consumer protection has grown, based upon some contractors’ bad actions. Broken promises and faulty installations have caused Washington State lawmakers to create House Bill 2156, aimed at providing better protection for residential solar system purchasers.

Understanding Washington State House Bill 2156

Signed into law in Washington State, and active as of June 6th, 2024, House Bill 2156 introduces several key provisions designed to protect the consumer within the residential solar industry.

• Standardized Contracts: One of the central features of the bill is the requirement for written contracts between consumers and solar contractors. These contracts are intended to clearly outline the agreement, including pricing, payments, cost per watt, project specifications, warranties, financing details, and any applicable fees or charges. Additionally, important information about potential energy savings, equipment specifications, and any limitations or conditions that may impact system functionality needs to be documented clearly.
• Right to Cancel: Recognizing the importance of consumer choice, the legislation grants homeowners the right to cancel a solar installation contract within 3 days without penalty. This provision offers an essential safeguard for members who may have second thoughts and felt rushed to sign or aggressively persuaded.
• Utility approval: The new bill also requires that the serving electric utility should approve the installation before the work of installing the system is started. We’ve seen some system components installed that we could not approve, so we understand this need. In those cases, our members were put in a tough spot, and we hope this provision keeps that from happening again. Utility approvals are intended to protect you and to ensure system safety and integrity. Poorly installed systems could cause problems for you and for your neighbors, and even jeopardize the safety of our linemen.

We have created a check sheet for you to review before deciding if solar is right for you. Please go to the Solar page and check it out along with more information about solar for your home.

We’ve seen some issues locally that helped create the need for stronger consumer protection laws and agree that this new legislation can help with that problem. Unfortunately, we’ve seen solar salespeople who want to control the customer by trying to put the utility in a bad light for charging for our services and pressure the member for fast decisions. The reality is that we’ve also helped several hundred of our members achieve their solar goals, and provided safe, affordable power for decades to this community, and we can help you as well.

Fortunately, most of our members know who we are and call us with questions. We hope you do so as well as you move through this process. Lastly, please take your time. Don’t allow anyone to rush or pressure you. Talk about solar with many people, your neighbors, multiple contractors, and us. We are here to help.

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Charlie DeSalvo, Energy Efficiency Specialist

If you have any questions about energy efficiency, email Charlie DeSalvo or call (509) 526-4041.