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Knowledge Base

  1. Are electrical contractors exempt from residential solar registration requirements?

    Yes. If an electrical contractor employs an individual to engage in residential solar retail on behalf of the electrical contractor, the electrical contractor is exempt from the residential solar retailer registration and insurance requirements.

    However, all residential solar contracts in which the electrical contractor is the seller or lessor are subject to the required contract provisions and right to cancel agreement found in Sections 1806.155 and 1806.156.

  2. Are employees of electrical contractors who conduct sales exempt from residential solar salesperson registration requirements?

    Yes, employees of a licensed electrical contractor are exempt from residential solar salesperson registration requirements. This exemption only applies to company employees. For example, if an electrical contractor hires a third-party sales representative to sell residential solar, that sales representative would need to be registered as a residential solar salesperson.

  3. If I am an employee of an electrical contractor that is exempt from registration and I perform solar sales services, what should be entered on line 4 of the consumer disclosure form?

    Exempt electrical contractors and their salespeople should enter the company’s TECL number in #3, the salesperson should enter “NA” on line 4.

  4. If I am an owner of an electrical contractor company that is exempt from registration and my business offers solar services, what should be entered on line 3 of the consumer disclosure form?

    Exempt electrical contractors and their salespeople should enter the company’s TECL number in #3.

  5. For a lump-sum turnkey contract, does Item 11 require separate dollar allocations for labor, warranty, battery, etc., or may those fields state “included in contract price/no separate charge”?

    All costs for the customer must be itemized.

  6. Is the required retention period based on the length of the home improvement/installation contract + 5 years? Or is it based on the length of the financing agreement (or PPA/lease term) + 5 years? If both documents exist, which term controls?

    Retention period is based on the latest contract/agreement end date.

  7. Where can I search to find registered solar retailers and salespeople?

    To search for registered residential solar retailers and salespeople, use the TDLR license search.

    To download a .csv file containing the most recent list of residential solar retailers and salespeople, visit TDLR license files.

  8. I’m a residential solar retailer and would like to pay for registrations for my salespeople. Can TDLR accept third-party payments?

    No, third-party payments are not currently available through our online licensing system.

  9. Is a residential solar salesperson required to provide a disclosure form to every person listed as a co-borrower on a home loan?

    No. The consumer disclosure form must be provided to the individual residing on the premises who agrees to the installation of a solar energy system and purchases or leases the solar energy system. This can be the primary borrower or a co-borrower.

  10. For residential solar retailer applications, who is considered to be a controlling person and required to be listed on the application?

    Any individual that meets the criteria below is considered a controlling person and should be listed on the application and is required to submit a DPS Computerized Criminal History (CCH) Form.

    A controlling person is any individual who:

    • has direct or indirect control of at least 25 percent of the voting securities of the business entity;
    • has the authority to set policy and direct the management of the business entity;
    • is the president, the secretary, or a director of the business entity; or
    • is a general partner of a partnership, including a limited partnership.
  11. What days count as “business days” for purposes of the five-day right-to-cancel under Texas Occupations Code §1806.156?

    Business days include all days except for Saturdays, Sundays, and the following state and federal holidays (see Texas Gov’t Code §662.021):

    Federal holidays

    • New Year’s Day (First day of January)
    • Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Third Monday in January)
    • President’s Day (Third Monday in February)
    • Memorial Day (Last Monday in May)
    • Independence Day (Fourth day of July)
    • Labor Day (First Monday in September)
    • Veterans Day (November 11th)
    • Thanksgiving Day (Fourth Thursday in November)
    • Christmas Day (December 25th)

    State holidays

    • Confederate Heroes Day (January 19th)
    • Texas Independence Day (March 2nd)
    • San Jacinto Day (April 21st)
    • Emancipation Day in Texas (June 19th)
    • Lyndon Baines Johnson Day (August 27th)
    • Friday after Thanksgiving Day
  12. Is it permissible for a salesperson to work for more than one retailer?

    Yes, a residential solar salesperson may be employed with more than one solar retailer.

  13. How do I file a complaint against my solar retailer/salesperson or electrical contractor?

    To report a violation by a licensed individual or company, or to report a person or company operating without a license, use the TDLR online complaint system.