Rhode Island Enacts Law to Protect Homeowners from Predatory Solar Sales Tactics and Enhance Consumer Rights.

Rhode Island has passed the “Residential Solar Energy Disclosure and Homeowners Bill of Rights Act” to protect homeowners from predatory door-to-door sales tactics in the solar industry. The law applies to individuals selling solar systems, lease agreements, or power purchase agreements. All parties selling residential solar must register with the state and renew their registration annually, and individuals directly selling to homeowners must undergo a national background check, including fingerprinting, submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Department of Business Regulation can investigate complaints, impose administrative penalties, revoke registrations, and impose fines of up to $5,000 per violation for up to four years after the violation occurs. The new law allows residential customers the right to rescind or cancel the deal for seven days after entering the agreement.