LA: Proposal would bog down rooftop solar companies

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Legislation has been introduced in Louisiana that would establish customer-disclosure requirements for sellers and lessors of solar-energy systems, including all net-metered PV systems and grid-independent systems. S.B. 214 would direct the Public Service Commission to provide general oversight on solar sales and leasing, establish enforcement rules, and levy administrative penalties for violations. Solar providers would be required to register with the PSC and disclose to customers certain information, including:

  • Required licenses and registration;
  • Estimated energy production from the system on a monthly and annual basis, and information on warranties and limitations that affect the estimate;
  • Total system costs, including any taxes the customer may be subject to, and a “good-faith” estimate of the system’s impact on home value;
  • Information on all available incentives, including “utility rate credits,” and the consumer’s responsibility for payments if any of these incentives are modified;
  • Notification that utility rates are subject to change, and that under net metering, additional charges may be imposed in the future;
  • The total payments due over the life of a lease, interest rates, escalation rates, the basis for savings estimates with respect to estimated utility rate increases, and the anticipated value of the system at the end of a lease agreement;
  • Notification of specific safety and maintenance issues; and
  • Provisions governing responsibility for lease payments upon the sale of a home.

Similar legislation introduced in Indiana and Nevada has not succeeded.