Types of Robocalls
Solar & energy robocalls
“You may qualify for free solar panels in your area.” Solar and energy robocalls are everywhere, and unlike most scam calls, a lot of them come from real, identifiable companies. That fact makes them worth $500 to $1,500 per call when they hit your cell without consent.
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Short answer
Solar and energy robocalls are usually marketing calls pushing solar panels, “government solar programs,” or cheaper energy plans. The good news for consumers: many trace back to real solar installers, energy retailers, and the lead generators they hire. Those companies can be identified and sued. If one robocalled or auto-texted your cell without your written consent, that’s a TCPA violation worth $500 per call, up to $1,500 for willful violations, and the calls stack.
The short version
- Solar robocalls are mostly marketing from real companies like installers, energy suppliers, and lead generators, which makes them more suable than anonymous scams.
- There is no broad “free government solar” robocall program; that’s a marketing hook, not a federal benefit.
- A real company that robocalls or auto-texts your cell without written consent owes $500 to $1,500 per call.
- Telling them to stop and getting called anyway makes the violation stronger, and often willful.
What solar and energy robocalls sound like
The hooks vary but the goal stays the same, to get you on the phone or onto a form:
- “You qualify for free or no-cost solar in your area.”
- “There’s a government program ending soon for homeowners.”
- “Cut your electric bill. Press 1 to see if your home qualifies.”
Press 1 and you reach a live agent or a callback from a local installer. The recorded part at the front is what triggers the law.
Why solar calls are often suable
Most scam robocalls are anonymous and offshore, which makes them hard to sue. Solar is different. To actually install panels or sign you to an energy plan, a real, licensed, U.S.-based company has to do business with you. That means there’s a nameable defendant with an address, a website, and a paper trail.
Solar has produced some of the most active TCPA enforcement in the country. When an identifiable installer or its hired dialer calls your cell with a prerecorded message and no consent, you’re not chasing a ghost. You’re dealing with a real business that can be served and held responsible.
When a solar robocall is illegal
Under the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), a solar or energy call is illegal when the company:
- Called or texted your cell phone;
- Used a prerecorded/artificial voice or an autodialer; and
- Had no prior express written consent from you, or kept calling after you said stop.
Calls to numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry add another layer of exposure for the company.
What a solar robocall claim is worth
Because the TCPA sets a fixed price per call, solar claims add up quickly:
- $500 per call or text as the floor;
- up to $1,500 per call when the violation is willful, for example, calls that keep coming after you asked them to stop.
Solar campaigns are often relentless, with multiple calls a day, from rotating numbers, over weeks. Every one of those is a separate violation, and they stack. A few weeks of solar robocalls can become a serious claim.
What to do when solar keeps calling
You can turn a daily annoyance into a documented claim:
- Ask who’s calling. If you reach an agent, get the company name and any reference number, which helps trace the campaign.
- Say “stop calling me” clearly, and note the date. Calls after that point are strong evidence of a willful violation.
- Keep the evidence. Don’t delete the calls; save voicemails and screenshot any solar texts with the number and date.
- Get a free review. Max Morgan, Esq. can identify the company behind the calls and tell you what the claim is worth. No fee unless you recover.
Related: Types of illegal robocalls · Prerecorded-call violations · How to sue a telemarketer · Do I qualify?
What kind of calls are you getting?
Each of these is a real, recoverable claim under the TCPA.
Wrong-number robocalls
Prerecorded or auto-dialed calls meant for someone else. You can have a claim even though you’re not a customer.
Learn more Highest valueWrong-number debt collection
Auto-dialed collection calls for a debt that was never yours. Illegal twice over — and it pays.
Learn more Highest value“Stop calling me”
You told them to stop and the calls kept coming. Each one can be a separate violation.
Learn moreSpam text messages
Marketing texts you never agreed to count under the TCPA too. Screenshots are often all the proof you need.
Learn moreDo-Not-Call violations
Registered your number and the calls didn’t stop? Continued telemarketing may entitle you to damages.
Learn morePrerecorded cell calls
Robotic or artificial-voice calls to your cell without consent are a clear TCPA violation.
Learn moreSolar robocalls: FAQs
Are “free government solar” robocalls real?
There’s no broad federal program that cold-calls homeowners offering free solar. “Free government solar” is a marketing hook used to get you on the phone. The company behind that hook is usually a real installer or lead generator, which is exactly the kind of caller you can sue under the TCPA when there’s no consent.
I filled out a solar form once. Can I still sue?
Possibly. Visiting a site or filling a quick form is often not the kind of clear, written consent the TCPA requires, and consent for one company doesn’t cover the dozens of others who may buy your info. An attorney can review what you actually agreed to.
The calls come from different numbers every time. Does that matter?
Not in a way that protects them. Rotating and spoofed numbers are common in solar campaigns, but the calls can still be traced back to the company responsible. Keep your records and let an attorney look.
Who actually pays, the lead generator or the installer?
It can be either or both. The company that dialed you and the installer that hired or benefited from the campaign can each be responsible under the TCPA. Figuring out who to name is part of the case, not something you need to solve first.
Find out in about two minutes
See if your calls are worth money.
Answer a few questions and Max Morgan, Esq. will tell you, free, whether you have a case. No cost, no obligation, no fee unless you recover.