Got a Solar Call or Text? TCPA & DNC Protection Explained

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult an attorney about your specific TCPA claim.

The short answer: the TCPA and Do Not Call rules may protect you from solar robocalls, prerecorded pitches, spam texts, and telemarketing to a registered DNC number, but consent facts matter. Save the calls and texts, check your DNC registration, revoke consent clearly, and file FCC/FTC complaints before evaluating a private claim.

Overview

Your phone buzzes. It is a number you do not recognize. You answer, and a recorded voice launches into a pitch about "free solar panels" or "a government program you qualify for." Or maybe it is a text message: "Reply YES to claim your solar rebate." You never signed up for these calls. You are on the Do Not Call Registry. And yet — the calls keep coming.

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry are federal tools designed to stop exactly this behavior. Solar telemarketing — robocalls, auto-dialed calls, and unsolicited texts — is rampant, and federal and state authorities have taken significant enforcement actions against the worst offenders. This guide explains your rights, recent enforcement wins, and exactly how to fight back.

If you need the practical cleanup steps before the legal analysis, start with the solar spam calls scam guide. If the caller used a vague "American Solar" identity, compare the script against the American Solar calls scam breakdown.

TCPA Protections Explained

The TCPA (47 U.S.C. 227) restricts telemarketing calls, auto-dialed calls, prerecorded messages, and unsolicited text messages. Key protections:

• Robocalls and prerecorded messages to cell phones require prior express written consent. A generic "by giving us your number you agree to be contacted" buried in fine print generally does not qualify.
• Auto-dialed calls (calls placed using an automatic telephone dialing system) to cell phones require prior express consent for non-telemarketing calls and prior express written consent for telemarketing.
• Text messages are treated as calls under the TCPA — the same consent requirements apply.
• Revocation of consent must be honored. If you tell a company to stop calling or texting you, they must stop. Continued contact may violate the TCPA.

The DNC Registry: What It Does and Does Not Do

Registering your number at DoNotCall.gov makes it illegal for telemarketers to call you — with important exceptions:

• Political calls, charitable solicitations, and survey calls are exempt.
• Companies you have an existing business relationship with may call for up to 18 months after your last transaction.
• Companies you have given written permission to call are exempt.
• The Registry does not apply to business-to-business calls.

If you are on the DNC Registry and receive a solar telemarketing call from a company you have never done business with, and you never gave permission, that call is likely illegal.

Lead Generator Consent After the FCC One-to-One Rule Was Vacated

The FCC adopted a 2023 rule intended to close the "lead generator loophole" by requiring one-to-one consent for certain robocalls and robotexts. That rule did not become the current operating standard. On January 24, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit vacated the one-to-one consent rule in Insurance Marketing Coalition Ltd. v. FCC.

What still matters for homeowners:

• Robocalls, prerecorded calls, and texts still require valid consent under the TCPA rules that remain in force.
• DNC rules still restrict telemarketing calls to numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry unless an exception applies.
• Lead forms can still be challenged when the consent language was unclear, hidden, forged, revoked, or unrelated to the actual caller.

If you filled out an online form about solar and then received calls from many companies, do not assume the form automatically defeats your claim. Save the exact form if possible, identify each caller, and have counsel compare the consent language to the calls and texts you received.

Significant Enforcement Actions

Momentum Solar — $30 Million Settlement

In 2023, Momentum Solar agreed to a proposed $30 million class action settlement over allegations that it violated the TCPA by placing telemarketing calls to consumers on the DNC Registry without consent. The case, litigated in federal court in New Jersey, represents one of the largest TCPA settlements involving the solar industry.

Sunrun — $5.5 Million Class Action

Sunrun, one of the nation's largest residential solar companies, settled a TCPA class action for $5.5 million. Consumers alleged that Sunrun placed robocalls and auto-dialed calls without proper consent. The settlement covered consumers who received calls between 2016 and 2022.

FTC Actions Against Solar Robocallers

The FTC has brought multiple enforcement actions against solar robocalling operations, including cases where companies made billions of illegal robocalls. In one notable action, the FTC sued a Florida-based operation that facilitated hundreds of millions of illegal solar robocalls, resulting in a permanent ban on telemarketing activities.

How to File TCPA Complaints

If you receive illegal solar telemarketing calls or texts:

1. Document every call. Record the date, time, caller's phone number, company name if provided, and whether the call was live or prerecorded. Save text messages with screenshots.
2. Check your DNC registration status at DoNotCall.gov and confirm when you registered.
3. File complaints:
   • FCC: File an informal complaint at fcc.gov/complaints — free and does not require an attorney.
   • FTC: Report at DoNotCall.gov or ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
   • State Attorney General: Many AG offices have consumer protection divisions that handle telemarketing complaints.
4. Consider a private TCPA lawsuit. The TCPA provides for statutory damages of $500 per violation, or up to $1,500 per willful violation. These damages can add up quickly — 10 illegal calls could mean $5,000 to $15,000.

Statutory Damages: What a Violation Is Worth

Under the TCPA, consumers may recover:

• $500 per violation for each illegal call or text
• Up to $1,500 per violation if the violation was willful or knowing
• No cap on total damages — they are per-violation

A consumer who received 50 illegal robocalls and can prove the violations were knowing could, in theory, seek $75,000 in statutory damages. This is why class actions in the TCPA space routinely settle for millions — the statutory exposure is enormous.

Sources and Official References

• FCC guide to stopping unwanted robocalls and texts
• FTC National Do Not Call Registry FAQ
• DoNotCall.gov registry and complaint portal
• FCC consumer complaint center
• Eleventh Circuit opinion in Insurance Marketing Coalition Ltd. v. FCC
• FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule compliance guide

FAQ

How do I get solar companies to stop calling me?

Tell each caller clearly: "I revoke consent for any and all calls and texts from your company. Put me on your internal do-not-call list." Document the date, time, and company name. If calls continue after you revoke consent, you may have a TCPA claim.

Can I sue a solar company for robocalls?

Yes. The TCPA provides a private right of action. You do not need to prove actual financial harm — statutory damages are available per violation. Many consumer protection attorneys take TCPA cases on contingency.

What if I filled out an online form about solar — did I consent to every call?

Maybe — but the analysis is fact-specific. The FCC's one-to-one consent rule was vacated in 2025, so do not rely on that rule alone. Instead, preserve the exact form language, identify each caller, and compare the calls to the consent you actually gave, your DNC status, and any later revocation.

Does the Do Not Call Registry apply to text messages?

Yes. The TCPA treats text messages the same as phone calls. Unsolicited telemarketing texts to numbers on the DNC Registry are generally illegal. The same statutory damages apply ($500-$1,500 per text).

What is the statute of limitations for TCPA claims?

Four years from the date of the violation. Keep records of all calls and texts — documentation is critical for establishing when each violation occurred.

Got blindsided by a solar deal that did not deliver?

You may have a claim — and the law may make the company that defrauded you pay your legal fees. Our 2-minute eligibility check screens for the consumer-protection statutes that apply to your situation (TILA § 130, the FTC Holder Rule, your state UDAP) and connects you with a consumer-protection attorney in our network if you qualify. Use the eligibility form to route your facts through the right intake path.

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