ACCC Super Complaint on Solar Sales: What It Means for Installers and Consumers

In April 2025, the Consumer Action Law Centre (CALC) filed what is known as a "designated complaint" to the ACCC, targeting unsolicited solar sales practices across Australia. This is the regulatory equivalent of pulling the fire alarm, and the solar industry needs to pay attention.

The complaint specifically calls out door-to-door solar sales, telemarketing, and the third-party lead generation companies that feed these channels. CALC is seeking a national ban on unsolicited selling methods for solar products.

This is not a surprise to anyone paying attention. The practices CALC describes have been a persistent source of consumer harm for years. But the formal complaint could accelerate regulatory change that reshapes how solar is sold in Australia. Here is what you need to know, whether you are a consumer or an installer.

A designated complaint (sometimes called a super complaint) is a formal mechanism for consumer advocacy bodies to escalate systemic issues to the ACCC. It carries more weight than a standard complaint because it represents a pattern of harm across the market, not just an individual grievance.

CALC's complaint focuses on three interconnected practices:

The complaint did not come out of nowhere. It follows years of documented consumer harm from aggressive solar sales practices. Consumer Affairs Victoria successfully prosecuted "Vic Solar" for misleading conduct linked to third-party lead generators and door-knockers. State-level regulators have been playing whack-a-mole with these operators for years.

Meanwhile, over 700 solar installation companies have closed in Australia since 2011, leaving roughly 650,000 homeowners without warranty support. Many of these failures followed the same pattern: aggressive lead acquisition, race-to-the-bottom pricing, thin margins, then collapse. The sales practices CALC is targeting are the front end of this cycle.

The complaint also comes at a time when the solar industry is maturing. Rooftop solar penetration in Australia is among the highest in the world. The pool of easy adopters has been largely tapped, which means companies are working harder (and sometimes less ethically) to reach the remaining market. Unsolicited sales tactics tend to increase when voluntary demand slows.

If you are a homeowner considering solar, the complaint reinforces advice that has been consistent for years: be extremely cautious of anyone who contacts you unsolicited about solar. If you did not ask for the call, the door knock, or the text message, the odds of it leading to a good outcome are low.

The best solar purchases happen when the homeowner initiates the process: researching online, reading reviews, understanding what they need, and then approaching installers on their own terms. Our installer vetting guide walks through exactly how to check an installer before signing, and our pricing guide shows what you should expect to pay.

If you have had a negative experience with unsolicited solar sales, report it to your state consumer protection agency. These reports matter. They build the evidence base that regulators like the ACCC use to take action.

The ACCC has received the complaint and is reviewing it. A designated complaint does not automatically result in new regulations, but it puts the issue firmly on the ACCC's agenda and can trigger formal investigations, enforcement actions, and policy recommendations.

Possible outcomes range from stricter enforcement of existing Australian Consumer Law provisions (which already prohibit misleading conduct) to new industry-specific regulations targeting unsolicited sales practices. A full ban on door-to-door solar sales, as CALC has requested, would be a significant step but is not without precedent in other regulated industries.

Regardless of the regulatory outcome, the market is already moving. Homeowners increasingly research solar online before engaging with installers. The installers who invest in being found when homeowners search, rather than interrupting homeowners who did not ask, are the ones building sustainable businesses.

For installers looking to build a pipeline that does not depend on unsolicited sales, our solar leads program delivers pre-qualified, consent-based leads from homeowners who have actively requested contact. No cold calls, no door-knocking, just genuine demand from people ready to go solar.