Industry Update: Why Some Homeowners Are Receiving Unexpected Solar Service Transfer Notices
May 18, 2026 No Comments
Read More » If you financed solar equipment through a loan and the agreement is not working out the way it was described, you are not alone. Many homeowners who took out solar loans through lenders such as GoodLeap, Mosaic, Sunlight Financial, Service Finance, EnerBank, or Dividend Finance have questions about their options when the equipment underperforms, when the savings do not materialize, or when the agreement creates obstacles to selling or refinancing the home.
Solar loans are governed by different federal laws than solar leases. They involve a separate lender — not just the solar installer — which means a qualified attorney may consider different review angles than would apply to a lease or a Power Purchase Agreement. This page covers what makes solar loan situations distinct, the situations a qualified attorney may review, and how SCRC’s intake process works.
Solar Cancellation Resource Center is a marketing and intake company. SCRC does not perform legal work. SCRC collects and organizes the information you provide, then connects you with a qualified law firm — such as Consumer Advocacy Law Group — that may review your situation. The initial intake is free, takes approximately 60 seconds, and you can submit your information at any point on this page.
This is the first thing many homeowners need to confirm: which type of agreement do you actually have? The distinction matters because solar loans and solar leases are structured differently and a qualified attorney may apply different review considerations to each.
Not sure which one you have? Pull out your agreement. If the document names a lender (GoodLeap, Mosaic, Sunlight Financial, Service Finance, EnerBank, or Dividend Finance) and refers to loan payments and an installation contract, you have a loan. If the document names a leasing company and refers to monthly lease payments, you have a lease — see our solar lease cancellation information page for that situation.
Solar loans typically involve three parties: the homeowner, the solar installer, and a lender. The installer designs and installs the equipment. The lender finances the purchase. The homeowner makes monthly payments to the lender — not to the installer.
This three-party structure can create complications when something goes wrong. If the equipment underperforms, the installer is one party potentially involved. If the loan terms were not described accurately at the point of sale, the lender is another party potentially involved. A qualified attorney may consider how each party’s role applies when reviewing the situation.
Common Solar Loan Lenders Most residential solar loans in the United States are originated through a small number of specialized lenders. The most common include:
If your loan is with one of these lenders, your monthly payment goes to them — not to the company that installed your panels. A qualified attorney may consider both the lender’s conduct and the installer’s conduct when reviewing your situation.
The Truth in Lending Act is a federal law that requires lenders to disclose specific terms and costs of a loan in writing before the agreement is finalized. When the loan is secured by an interest in the homeowner’s property, TILA may also provide a right to rescind the agreement within a specific window after closing. If the required disclosures were not made — or were made inaccurately — the rescission window may extend beyond the standard timeframe. A qualified attorney may review whether any TILA considerations may apply to your specific situation.
In addition to federal law, every state has consumer protection statutes that apply to lending and sales practices. These laws vary by state and are case-specific. A qualified attorney licensed in your state may review whether any state-level considerations apply.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is the federal agency that oversees consumer lending practices, including unfair, deceptive, or abusive practices by lenders. Solar finance companies fall within CFPB’s jurisdiction. A qualified attorney may consider whether any conduct by the lender may have been a potential issue worth reviewing.
Solar loans are subject to federal lending laws that do not apply to solar leases. These laws are designed to protect consumers in any transaction that involves financing a major purchase. A qualified attorney may consider whether any of the following federal frameworks apply to your situation.
Solar loans involve a different federal framework than solar leases or Power Purchase Agreements. This is one reason a qualified attorney may apply different review considerations to a solar loan situation. SCRC’s intake process is designed to gather the specific information that pertains to financed solar agreements.
There are several situations involving solar loans that have led homeowners to submit their information for intake. The information below is general and educational. Whether your specific situation may be eligible for a legal review is determined by a qualified attorney, not by SCRC.
Some homeowners report that the loan terms presented at the point of sale did not match the terms in the final agreement. This may include the interest rate, the monthly payment amount, the total loan amount, fees that were not disclosed, or the relationship between the loan amount and any tax credit. A qualified attorney may review whether this may be a potential issue under federal lending laws or state consumer protection laws.
Some solar loans are structured around an assumption that the homeowner will receive a federal solar tax credit and apply it to the loan balance within a specific timeframe. If the salesperson did not confirm the homeowner’s actual tax liability — or described the tax credit in a way that turned out not to be accurate — the loan structure may not work as it was described. A qualified attorney may review whether the tax credit description may have been a potential issue.
Some homeowners report that the solar equipment financed through the loan has stopped producing, that monitoring data shows production well below what was described, or that the installer has not responded to service requests. A qualified attorney may review whether the underperformance of the financed equipment may be a potential issue under the agreement.
Some homeowners report that the savings figures used to justify the loan — for example, monthly bill reductions of a certain percentage — did not match what actually happened after installation. A qualified attorney may review whether the sales description may have been a potential issue under state consumer protection laws.
Recent bankruptcy filings in the solar industry have left many homeowners with active loan payments to a lender, but no responsive installer to honor warranties or address service issues. The loan obligation typically continues even when the installer closes. A qualified attorney may review whether the practical breakdown of the installer’s obligations may be a potential issue worth considering.
Some homeowners report that the UCC-1 fixture filing on the solar equipment — combined with the active loan balance — has affected a planned home sale or refinance. A qualified attorney may review the homeowner’s options for addressing the loan and the filing in the context of a real estate transaction.
About Loan Payments
The decision to stop making payments must only be considered under the advice and representation of a qualified attorney. Solar loan payments are owed to a lender, and missed payments can have consequences that vary based on the loan agreement and applicable law. SCRC does not provide guidance on whether or when payments should continue or stop. If you have submitted your information and been connected with a qualified law firm, any questions about loan payments should be directed to the attorney handling your matter.
Most solar loans include a UCC-1 fixture filing. This is a notice filed in public records that places a lien on the solar equipment itself — not on your home. The UCC-1 protects the lender’s interest in the equipment they financed for as long as the loan remains active.
Even though the lien is on the solar equipment, it can affect a home sale or refinance because title companies and lenders see the filing during their searches. Some buyers and lenders are not comfortable proceeding with a property until the filing is resolved. A qualified attorney may review the homeowner’s options for addressing the UCC-1 filing on the solar equipment in the context of a specific situation.
This is a distinction that often gets confused. The lender’s filing protects their interest in the panels, inverters, and related equipment — not the home itself. SCRC does not provide guidance on how a UCC-1 filing on solar equipment may affect a specific real estate transaction. That determination is made by a qualified attorney based on the specifics of the situation.
SCRC follows a structured intake process. Each step is designed to gather complete information before connecting you with a qualified law firm. SCRC does not perform legal work at any stage.
You complete a short intake form that asks about your solar loan, the lender that holds it, the installer that designed and installed the equipment, what was described to you at the point of sale, and the issues you have experienced since. The intake takes approximately 60 seconds and there is no cost or obligation to submit your information.
If your initial intake suggests there may be matters worth a legal review, an SCRC specialist follows up to collect additional information. The homeowner provides their documentation — including the loan agreement, the installation contract, sales materials, communication records with both the installer and the lender, monthly loan statements, and electric bills from before and after installation. SCRC organizes the information you provide; SCRC does not analyze, audit, or interpret your loan agreement.
The information you provide is then forwarded to a qualified law firm, such as Consumer Advocacy Law Group. A qualified attorney may review your documentation and determine whether your loan situation may qualify for a potential legal review. Any decision about whether your situation has merit, what legal considerations may apply, and what next steps may be appropriate is made by the attorney — not by SCRC.
If a qualified attorney determines that your situation may be eligible for a legal review, the law firm communicates directly with you about next steps. From this point forward, the relationship is between the homeowner and the law firm. SCRC’s role is complete once the connection has been made.
SCRC operates on a fixed-fee model. Any fees that may apply are disclosed in writing before any commitment is made. The initial intake is free. You would know what fees apply before agreeing to anything, with no hourly billing and no surprise invoices.
Why Homeowners with Solar Loans Choose SCRC for Their Initial Intake
Take this quiz to see if you're eligible for cancellation.
SCRC is a marketing and intake company. SCRC collects and organizes the information you provide and connects you with a qualified law firm — such as Consumer Advocacy Law Group — that may review your situation. SCRC does not perform legal work, does not analyze contracts, and does not provide legal advice.
No. The intake form is free and takes approximately 60 seconds. Once you submit, SCRC will follow up if additional information is needed. The homeowner provides their documentation as part of the information collection step.
A qualified attorney makes that determination — not SCRC. The intake form gathers initial information that the law firm uses to evaluate whether your agreement may be eligible for a potential legal review.
The initial intake is free. Any fees that may apply later are disclosed in writing before any commitment is made. SCRC operates on a fixed-fee model, which means you would know what fees apply before agreeing to anything.
The decision to stop making payments must only be considered under the advice and representation of a qualified attorney. SCRC does not provide guidance on payment decisions. If you have been connected with a qualified law firm, please direct payment-related questions to the attorney handling your matter.
The UCC-1 fixture filing typically associated with a solar loan is a lien on the solar equipment, not on the home itself. However, the filing can appear in title and lender searches and may affect a real estate transaction. A qualified attorney may review how the filing may apply to your specific situation.
Loan servicers change over time, especially in the solar finance industry. The original loan agreement typically remains in effect even when the servicer changes. A qualified attorney may review your current loan situation regardless of any servicing changes that have occurred.
The loan obligation typically continues even when the installer closes. The lender expects loan payments regardless of what has happened to the installer. A qualified attorney may review whether the practical breakdown of the installer’s obligations — including warranty and service obligations — may be a potential issue worth considering in the context of the loan
No. The initial intake through SCRC is free. Any fees that may apply later — for example, fees associated with engagement by a qualified law firm — are disclosed in writing before any commitment is made. SCRC operates on a fixed-fee model, so you would know what fees apply before agreeing to anything.
The intake form itself takes approximately 60 seconds. Information collection typically takes one to two weeks, depending on how quickly the homeowner provides the requested documentation. Once SCRC has connected you with a qualified law firm, the timing of any review is determined by the attorney.
Submitting your information to SCRC does not, by itself, change your existing loan agreement. Any communication with the lender about your loan should be handled by — or under the direction of — a qualified attorney.
No. SCRC does not guarantee any outcome. Whether your solar loan situation may qualify for a legal review — and the result of any review — is determined by a qualified law firm based on the specifics of your situation. Individual experiences vary.
These are the questions that come up most often during intake calls involving solar loans. The answers below are general and educational. They do not constitute legal advice.
Submit your information for a free intake. SCRC will collect your documentation and forward it to Consumer Advocacy Law Group, the qualified law firm we work with.