Cookie Policy for ShopSolar.ai
At ShopSolar.ai, we use cookies to enhance your experience, analyze site traffic, and deliver personalized content and advertising. Cookies allow us to understand how visitors interact with our site, helping us provide more relevant content and improve the user experience. By continuing to use our site, you consent to the use of cookies as outlined in this policy and in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Cookie Preferences
You have the option to manage your cookie preferences by clicking on the “Cookie Settings” button below. You can also disable certain types of cookies, although doing so may impact the functionality of our site.
Types of Cookies We Use
Essential Cookies: These are necessary for the basic operation of our website, enabling you to navigate and use core features.
Performance Cookies: These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our site, allowing us to improve its performance by tracking usage patterns.
Functional Cookies: These enable additional features, such as remembering your preferences and personalizing your experience on our website.
Advertising Cookies: These are used to present you with advertisements that are more relevant to your interests, based on your browsing behavior.
Your Rights
In accordance with U.S. laws, particularly the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), you have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- Right to Know: You may request details about the personal information we collect and how it is used.
- Right to Opt-Out: You may opt out of the sale of your personal information, if applicable.
- Right to Delete: You may request that we delete your personal data, subject to certain exceptions as permitted by law.
For more information about how we handle your data and your rights, please refer to our [Privacy Policy].
Managing Your Cookie Preferences
You can update your cookie preferences at any time by using the “Opt-out” button on our website or by adjusting your browser settings. Please note that disabling certain types of cookies may affect your ability to fully use the features of our site.
Data Retention
We retain cookie and personal data collected through cookies for as long as is necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, such as improving user experience, analyzing site traffic, and delivering personalized content and advertisements. The retention period may vary depending on the type of cookie and its specific purpose, but generally, we retain data only for as long as needed for these purposes or as required by law.
For more detailed information about our data retention practices, please refer to our Privacy Policy.
The above cookie policy and opt-out language provided are generally compliant with the privacy laws in California (CCPA/CPRA), Virginia (VCDPA), Colorado (CPA), Connecticut (CTDPA), and Utah (UCPA). Here’s how we align with these laws:
1. Opt-Out of Sale/Sharing of Personal Information
- CCPA/CPRA (California): Requires businesses to allow consumers to opt-out of the “sale” or “sharing” of personal information. CPRA expands this to include sharing for cross-context behavioral advertising. The opt-out language addresses this by explaining the “sale” and providing an easy method for users to opt-out.
- VCDPA (Virginia), CPA (Colorado), CTDPA (Connecticut): These laws also require businesses to offer consumers the right to opt-out of targeted advertising, the sale of personal data, and, in some cases, profiling. The language meets this requirement by allowing users to opt-out of cookie-based tracking and other personal information uses.
- UCPA (Utah): Requires an opt-out for sales, though Utah law specifically defines “sale” as an exchange of personal data for monetary consideration. The provided language mentions that cookies may be considered a sale under certain laws, thus providing a compliant option for Utah as well.
2. Transparency and Consent
- CCPA/CPRA: Requires clear and conspicuous notice about what personal information is collected, how it is used, and for what purposes (including third-party sharing). The language used in both the cookie policy and opt-out sections provides this transparency.
- VCDPA, CPA, CTDPA, UCPA: Similarly require businesses to disclose the types of personal data collected and the purposes for processing, as well as to obtain consent for processing sensitive data. The language provides a clear breakdown of the types of cookies, how they are used, and user rights, which aligns with these requirements.
3. Data Subject Rights
- Right to Know, Access, Delete: All of these laws require that consumers be able to request access to the data that a business holds about them, request its deletion, and in some cases, correct inaccuracies. The cookie policy includes a section on user rights, referencing the ability to request access, deletion, and more, which complies with these provisions.
- Right to Opt-Out of Targeted Advertising: The provided opt-out language explicitly mentions opting out of targeted ads via cookie settings, fulfilling this requirement under all the relevant laws.
4. Cookie Consent and Management
- CCPA/CPRA: The language allows users to manage cookies via the “Cookie Settings” button, which aligns with California’s requirement for clear cookie management options.
- VCDPA, CPA, CTDPA, UCPA: While these states don’t have explicit cookie consent requirements like the EU’s GDPR, providing a method to manage cookies ensures compliance with transparency and opt-out rights for targeted advertising and data sales.
Additional State-Specific Considerations
- CPRA (California): The CPRA adds the requirement to disclose data retention periods and adds rights for consumers regarding the correction of personal information. Including a data retention disclosure could further improve compliance, though it’s not strictly necessary for cookie policies.
- VCDPA, CPA, CTDPA, UCPA: These states have stronger protections for sensitive data, such as biometric or geolocation information, and typically require opt-in consent to process this data. While the cookie policy doesn’t deal with sensitive data, you might need to include language for opt-in consent if such data is collected in other contexts.
11. CONTACT INFORMATION
To ask questions or comment about this privacy policy and our privacy practices, contact us:
Different Energies LLC
2137 NJ-35 North, Ste. 330
Holmdel, NJ 07733
United States
Telephone: (855) 343-3768
Email: legal@differentenergies.com
Version History: 081224 v1
12. U.S. STATE PRIVACY LAWS
Additional U.S. State Privacy Disclosures
These Additional U.S. State Privacy Disclosures supplement the information contained in our Privacy Policy by providing additional information about our personal information processing practices relating only to individual residents of the States of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, and Virginia. For a detailed description of how we collect, use, disclose, and otherwise process personal information in connection with our services, please visit our Privacy Policy. Unless otherwise expressly stated, all terms defined in our Privacy Policy retain the same meaning in these Disclosures.
Additional Personal Information Disclosures
Sales, Sharing or Targeted Advertising
As further described in the Privacy Policy, we may “sell” or “share” your personal information (as those terms are defined by applicable privacy laws such as the California Privacy Rights Act) to third parties, subject to your right to opt out of those sales (see Your Privacy Choices below).
In the last 12 months, we sold, shared (for cross-context behavioral or targeted advertising purposes), or disclosed the personal information (for the purposes described in our Privacy Policy) as follows:
- Business and Marketing Partners: Identifiers, Commercial information, Internet or other electronic network activity information, Geolocation data.
- Online Advertising Networks, Social Networks, and Analytics Providers: Identifiers, Commercial information, Internet or other electronic network activity information, Geolocation data.
- Demand Response Programs: Identifiers, Commercial information, and Geolocation data.
We may also disclose personal information to third parties at your direction or upon your request, in connection with a corporate business transaction, or to comply with legal or contractual obligations, as described in our Privacy Policy. In the last 12 months, we may have disclosed each category of personal information for these purposes.
We do not sell Sensitive Personal Information, and we do not process or otherwise share Sensitive Personal Information for the purpose of cross-context behavioral or targeted advertising. However, based on your state of residency and subject to certain legal limitations and exceptions, you may be able to limit, or withdraw your consent for, our processing of Sensitive Personal Information (as described in the Privacy Policy section below).
De-identified Information
We may at times receive, or process personal information to create, de-identified data that can no longer reasonably be used to infer information about, or otherwise be linked to, a particular individual or household. Where we maintain de-identified data, we will maintain and use the data in de-identified form and not attempt to reidentify the data except as required or permitted by law.
Your Privacy Choices
If you are a resident of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, or Virginia, and subject to certain legal limitations and exceptions, you may be able to exercise some or all of the following rights:
The Right to Know | The right to confirm whether we are processing personal information about you and to obtain certain personalized details about the personal information we collected about you, including: The categories of personal information collected; The categories of sources of the personal information; The purposes for which we collected the personal information; The categories of personal information disclosed to third parties, and the categories of recipients to whom we disclosed the personal information; The categories of personal information shared for cross-context behavioral or targeted advertising purposes, and the categories of recipients to whom we disclosed the personal information for those purposes; and The categories of personal information sold , and the categories of third parties to whom we sold the personal information. |
The Right to Access & Portability | The right to obtain access to the personal information we collected about you and, where required by law, the right to obtain a copy of the personal information in a portable and, to the extent technically feasible, readily usable format that allows you to transmit the data to another entity without hindrance. |
The Right to Correction | The right to correct inaccuracies in your personal information, taking into account the nature of the personal information and the purposes of processing the personal information. |
The Right to Control Over Sensitive Personal Information | The right to exercise control over our collection and processing of Sensitive Personal Information. |
The Right to Deletion | The right to have us delete the personal information we maintain about you, subject to additional exemptions. |
The Right to Opt-Out of Sales or Sharing of Personal Information | The right to direct us not to “sell” your personal information to third parties for monetary or other valuable consideration. |
The Right to Control Automated Decision-Making / Profiling | The right to direct us not to use automated decision-making or profiling for certain purposes. |
The Right to Appeal | You may appeal a decision we made in connection with your privacy rights request(s). If you are not satisfied with our explanation for the denial of your appeal, you may have an additional right under certain laws to contact your state Attorney General to submit a complaint about the appeal results. |
Depending on your state of residency, you may also have the right to not receive retaliatory or discriminatory treatment in connection with a request to exercise the above rights. However, the exercise of the rights described above may result in a different price, rate or quality level of product or service where that difference is reasonably related to the impact the right has on our relationship or is otherwise permitted by law.
Submitting Privacy Rights Requests
To submit a request to exercise one of the privacy rights identified above, please call (855) 343-3768.
Before processing your request, we may need to verify your identity and confirm you are a resident of a state that offers the requested right(s). In order to verify your identity, we will generally either require the successful authentication of your email, or the matching of sufficient information you provide us to the information we maintain about you in our systems. As a result, we require requests to include first and last name, phone number, email, street address, city, state, and zip code. We may at times need to request additional personal information from you, taking into consideration our relationship with you and the sensitivity of your request.
We will process requests to opt-out of sales within 15 business days, subject to any applicable exceptions and extensions permitted by law. We will process all other privacy requests within 45 days, subject to any applicable exceptions and extensions permitted by law.
In certain circumstances, we may decline a privacy rights request, particularly where you are not a resident of one of the eligible states or where we are unable to verify your identity.
Submitting Authorized Agent Requests
In certain circumstances, you are permitted to use an authorized agent to submit requests on your behalf through the designated methods set forth above where we can verify the authorized agent’s authority to act on your behalf. In order to verify the authorized agent’s authority, we generally require evidence of either (i) a valid power of attorney or (ii) a signed letter containing your name and contact information, the name and contact information of the authorized agent, and a statement of authorization for the request. Depending on the evidence provided and your state of residency, we may still need to separately reach out to you to confirm the authorized agent has permission to act on your behalf and to verify your identity in connection with the request.
California “Shine the Light” Disclosures
The California “Shine the Light” law gives residents of California the right under certain circumstances to request information from us regarding the manner in which we disclose certain categories of personal information (as defined in the Shine the Light law) to third parties for their direct marketing purposes. To opt out of this type of disclosure, please email us at info@differentenergies.com.
Minors
We do not sell the personal information of consumers we know to be less than 16 years of age, unless we receive affirmative authorization (the “Right to Opt In”) from either the minor who is between 13 and 16 years of age, or the parent or guardian of a minor less than 13 years of age.
If you are under the age of 18 and you want to remove your name or comments from our website or publicly displayed content, please contact us directly at info@differentenergies.com. We may not be able to modify or delete your information in all circumstances.
California-Specific Disclosures
California law requires that we provide specific disclosures in a dedicated section of our Privacy Policy. The following disclosures only apply to residents of California.
Categories of Personal Information We Collect
- Identifiers, including name, physical addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, social security number, driver’s license or other government identification information, account identifiers and login credentials, and credit and identity information relating to data used to identify an individual.
- Characteristics of protected classifications under applicable laws, including age, and date of birth.
- Commercial information, including payment card or bank account information, account history relating to an individual’s purchases, service profile information relating to an individual’s purchases and interests, feedback information, communication preferences, customer service and communication history, information related to home ownership or energy usage, and utility provider.
- Internet or other electronic network activity information, including IP address, log data, analytics data, application data, device ID, and other data collected through cookies and similar technologies.
- Geolocation data, including general geographic location or more precise location when permitted by law.
- Audio, electronic, visual, thermal, olfactory, or similar information, including, where permitted by law, recordings of phone calls between us and individuals and audio, image and video recordings of visitors to our offices or events.
- Professional or employment-related information, including the business or organization an individual represents, their title with that business or organization and information relating to their role with the business or organization.
- Sensitive Personal Information, including social security number, driver’s license or other government identification information, precise geolocation data, and account login credentials. Each type of Sensitive Personal Information may also fall under another category of personal information.
- Demographic data, including age and date of birth.
- Inferences drawn from other personal information or data, including our predictions about interests and preferences and related service profile information.
How We Use Personal Information
We may use the personal information we collect from and about you for any of the following purposes:
- To provide our Sites and/or Services and their contents to you.
- To analyze, improve, operate, and maintain the Sites, Services, and other systems, and to develop new products and services.
- To provide you with information, products, or services that you request from us, and to contact and communicate with you when necessary.
- To plan, implement and evaluate energy-use and efficiency programs, such as demand response programs.
- To assess the suitability of your home for a solar system.
- To allow you to take certain actions related to your account, including, but not limited to, tracking the progress of your solar system installation, making and managing payments, viewing billing history, calculating your post-solar savings, reviewing and monitoring your solar production, managing your account and contact information, and viewing and downloading your solar system agreement.
- To carry out our obligations and enforce our rights arising from any contracts entered into between you and us, including for billing and collection.
- To notify you about changes to our Sites and/or Services.
- To provide you and other users with customized content, targeted offers, and advertising on the Sites, or across other websites, mobile applications, social media or online services, or via direct mail, email, and/or telemarketing regarding offers, contests, events, news, programs, and other retail opportunities from us and/or selected third parties that we believe may be of interest to you.
- To determine the effectiveness of our marketing programs.
- To use your data in an aggregated non-specific format for analytical and demographic purposes.
- In any other way we may describe when you provide the information to us.
Additionally, if you use the Sites and/or Services to connect with third-party services that you authorize us to use information from and about you, on your behalf, to interact with these third-party services based on your requests.
We use Sensitive Personal Information as follows:
- To provide goods or services requested by you.
- To provide you and other users with customized content.
- To perform credit checks and process credit card payments.
- To assess the suitability of your home for a solar system.
Third-party Selling and Sharing
We may sell or share (for cross-context behavioral advertising purposes) personal information to third parties. These companies may use your personal information for their everyday business purposes, including marketing. Over the past 12 months, we sold/shared Identifiers, Internet and other electronic network activity information, Commercial information, and Geolocation data to third parties.
No mobile information will be shared with third parties/affiliates for marketing/promotional purposes. All the above categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties.
Retention of Personal Information
We retain personal information only for as long as is reasonably necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected. However, if necessary, we may retain personal information for longer periods of time, until set retention periods and deadlines expire, for instance where we are required to do so in accordance with legal, tax and accounting requirements set by a legislature, regulator or other government authority.
To determine the appropriate duration of the retention of personal information, we consider the amount, nature and sensitivity of the personal information, the potential risk of harm from unauthorized use or disclosure of personal information and if we can attain our objectives by other means, as well as our legal, regulatory, tax, accounting and other applicable obligations.
Therefore, we retain personal information for as long as the individual continues to use our Sites and/or Services for the purposes explained in our Privacy Policy. When an individual discontinues the use of our Site and Services, we will retain their personal information for as long as necessary to comply with our legal obligations, to resolve disputes and defend claims, as well as, for any additional purpose based on the choices they have made, such as to receive marketing communications. In particular, we will retain personal information supplied when joining our services, including complaints, claims and any other personal information supplied during the duration of an individual’s contract with us for the services until the statutory limitation periods have expired, when this is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims.
Once retention of the personal information is no longer necessary for the purposes outlined above, we will either delete or de-identify the personal information or, if this is not possible (for example, because personal information has been stored in backup archives), then we will securely store the personal information and isolate it from further processing until deletion or de-identification is possible.