Sunrun
check_circleverifiedThere are many solar companies out there, but which one actually provides the most value and best customer service? We've made it our mission to find out.
After conducting exhaustive research on the solar industry and gathering hundreds of Sunrun reviews, we've weighed the good and the bad and discovered Sunrun to be one of the top installers of solar panels based on a variety of criteria points.
The renewable energy company, which is based in San Francisco, California, has installed over 1460 megawatts of solar power and helped tens of thousands of consumers in 19 states and Washington D.C. to lower their electricity bills.
Sunrun is the pioneer of the solar-as-a-service model and continues to drive innovation of solar generation, storage, and energy services and technologies. The rooftop solar provider's mission is to create a planet run by the sun.
The Good
- Payment Flexibility
- Customized Solar Systems
- Simple Solar Process
- 20-Year Maintenance
- Roof Warranties and Coverage for Solar Panels
- Customer Care Team
- Battery Storage Options
- High Level of Transparency with Customers
- Installation Experience
- Extensive Availability
- Helpful Website
Payment Flexibility
In order to fit the needs of almost any customer, Sunrun offers several financing options, including solar leases, Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), prepayments, outright purchases, and loans.
Sunrun solar lease and PPA options give customers the chance to reap the benefits of a home solar system for zero to little upfront cost.
The prepayment option features all of the same benefits as the lease option, except the customer doesn't have to worry about the hassle of monthly payments.
Purchasing a Sunrun solar system outright provides customers with long-term savings, while financing a Sunrun solar system through a loan allows customers to make payments to own their system, which provides long-term benefits.
Customized Solar Systems
Sunrun understands that every customer's home, lifestyle, and savings goal is unique.
As a result, the company customizes every system it installs to the customer's needs using its own design technology called BrightPath. With just a few pieces of information and a satellite image of the rooftop, BrightPath can quickly create a custom solar system that will maximize energy production.
Simple Solar Process
Sunrun strives to make switching to clean energy as simple and hassle-free as possible for its customers. The rooftop solar provider helps save time by taking care of everything from scheduling to permitting and allowing people to follow their installation progress through the mySunrun mobile app. The design and installation process is as follows:
- Step 1: Sunrun's experienced technicians will visit, measure, and evaluate the home; ensure that a solar system is the right fit; and design a customized solar plan.
- Step 2: Sunrun's design experts will review and make any adjustments to the custom evaluation.
- Step 3: Sunrun submits the design plans to the local city government for permitting.
- Step 4: After the permit is granted, Sunrun's installers will come out to the home, go over the custom design with the customer, receive approval, and get to work.
- Step 5: Once the system has been installed, the city or county will perform the final inspection.
- Step 6: Sunrun will submit documents to the utility company and "Permission to Operate" will be granted.
20-Year Maintenance
If customers choose to lease or obtain a PPA, Sunrun will own the system and, therefore, is responsible for all maintenance and repairs of the system. Additionally, Sunrun will refund customers if the panels installed on their roof ever underperform.
Roof Warranties and Coverage for Solar Panels
Other benefits of Sunrun's product include a 10-year warranty on systems that are purchased and a 20-year warranty on systems that are leased. Each solar customer's Sunrun contract also includes a roof warranty, which protects the roof from leaks or holes.
Additionally, Sunrun provides its solar customers with 24/7 system monitoring for no additional fee. The company's Monitoring Team oversees all all Sunrun systems and keeps an eye on production levels. If something happens or if performance dips, Sunrun will contact you as soon as possible to get things fixed.
Customer Care Team
Sunrun provides a US-based customer care team that is ready to answer questions and help resolve any issues that may arise.
Battery Storage Options
Sunrun offers a battery storage option that can be purchased or leased called Brightbox. With Brightbox, customers can enjoy safe, clean, and reliable backup power in the event of a blackout.
Additionally, Brightbox helps customers save money by seamlessly optimizing when a home uses electricity generated by solar panels, stored in the battery, or from the grid.
High Level of Transparency with Customers
Sunrun provides an abundance of information on its website and strives to be very transparent with its customers. The company's website includes a detailed FAQ section, a helpful guarantee page, and an informative "Plans and Services" page that will help customers better understand how to move forward with Sunrun and start taking advantage of solar power.
Installation Experience
When it comes to solar installation, Sunrun is one of the most experienced companies in the solar industry. In fact, the company is one of the few solar installers that has installed over 1460 megawatts of solar energy.
As a result, Sunrun has offset 1.7 million tons of carbon emissions and helped more than 180,000 customers to reduce their electricity bills and take advantage of net metering.
Extensive Availability
Sunrun currenty offers solar energy services in the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, Washington D.C., and Wisconsin.
Helpful Website
Sunrun's website includes a variety of blog posts and helpful, easy-to-digest resources, including information on solar panels, plans and services, the cost of solar, warranties, installations, rebates and incentives, net metering, and more.
The Bad
- Outsourcing Installations for Remote Homes
Outsourced Installations for Remote Homes
A majority of Sunrun's installations are performed in-house, meaning that Sunrun employees will install the solar systems themselves, which is ideal. Occasionally, the company will contract other installers to work on homes that are too remote for Sunrun itself to reach.
While Sunrun does train and approve these third-party contractors before they work on a home, this outsourcing strategy has often led to inconsistencies in performance upon installation. Consequently, customer satisfaction concerning the installation quality and overall experience varies.
The Bottom Line
Overall, Sunrun is highly recommended to homeowners who are looking to go solar. Sunrun's high quality solar energy systems, variety of financing options, lengthy maintenance coverage and warranties, and customer service and transparency are attractive features that make breaking away from your utility company and switching to solar simple and affordable.
Interested in going solar with Sunrun? Click here. Want to learn more about Sunrun? Check out the Sunrun solar reviews from real customers below.
Call our recommended rep over at Sunrun below.
1-(866) 717-0232
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User Reviews
Star Rating
1,216 Reviews
Review Breakdown
Sentiment Criteria
Verified Customer
Straight forward sales, design, and install. Easily update based on our wants and needs. Price competitive. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff at every step of the way. Beau Evans and Chris Bowden were a pleasure to work with.
Reply from Sunrun
Apr 15, 2019
Hello Carl W. Thank you for sharing this wonderful experience with us. We love to hear that our price is competitive. We appreciate the shout-out for your sales rep and our team! We love hearing from our customers that are no stranger to solar.
Verified Customer
The installation was good. The app is horrible.
Reply from Sunrun
Apr 02, 2019
Thank you for your communication, we have provided your feedback to our leadership team.
Verified Customer
Good product, reasonable price. Fast & courteous responses.
Reply from Sunrun
Apr 15, 2019
We appreciate the shout-out for your sales rep and our team! We love hearing from our customers that are no stranger to solar.
Verified Customer
Easy to contact and responsive to e-mails when there are issues/questions.
Reply from Sunrun
Apr 15, 2019
Thank you for taking the time to leave us this wonderful review. We love to here that your inquiries get answered promptly. Welcome to the Sunrun family, thank you for helping us create a planet run by the sun.
Verified Customer
My electric bill has gone down to $29.- from $119- the same time last year!
Reply from Sunrun
Apr 15, 2019
Lois C. This is such great news! We love that you're are sharing your experiences with us. We're delighted to know you were able to find the best solar solution to meet your needs. Congrats on going green, and thank you for helping us create a planet run by the sun!
Verified Customer
They are awesome from start to finish. The product is great and I am saving money. Highly recommend.
Reply from Sunrun
Apr 15, 2019
We're pleased to hear your sales experience was a positive one. We aim to provide enough options for all our customers to find a solar solution that meets their needs. Welcome to the Sunrun family!
Verified Customer
Billing practices very bad. Unable to set up automatic payment through credit card. I have to pay $7.50 a month for paper Billings. I do not permit direct access to my bank accounts. This for reasons of overall security.
Reply from Sunrun
Apr 02, 2019
We offer a discount for making your monthly payments using autopayment because of the additional resources needed to process checks every month. If we didn't have auto-payment processing 80,000 checks manually would be very expensive and time-consuming. You are not required to sign up for automatic payments. However, you will see the ACH opt-out adjustment $ 7.50 on your solar bills each month. If you change your mind, you can sign up for automatic payments using your checking or savings account on the customer website or by calling this number.
Was very impressed with the company contacts. It took several months before my 38 panels were installed, but the quality of the panels made it worthwhile. My contractor worked steadily during the coldest weather of this winter. I am looking forward to having the city inspector check everything over so that I can turn it on.
Reply from Sunrun
Apr 15, 2019
We love hearing stories like yours! Our team strives to provide the best customer experience. We are so excited you're a new part of our Sunrun family.
They never contacted me to get a quote, therefore they get 1 star but should be zero.
Reply from Sunrun
Mar 26, 2019
Hello Brent, we are sorry to hear you have not been contacted. Please private message us your contact information, we will contact you immediately.
Verified Customer
The service was excellent. We also appreciated that they were not high pressure sales.
Reply from Sunrun
Mar 27, 2019
Hello Albert and Diane. We love love love to hear about this great experience you had with Sunrun. We are honored to have you be a part of the Sunrun family, let's create a planet run by the sun.
Verified Customer
Works as they said it would and so far so good
Reply from Sunrun
Mar 27, 2019
Hello William M. We love to hear that we have kept all our promises to you, we work hard to make sure our customers are happy with the services. You're doing a great thing by helping us create a planet run by the sun!
Verified Customer
They promise to complete the work on time.They completed on time.
Reply from Sunrun
Mar 27, 2019
Hello W. Chin, time is of the essence and making sure we install the system in a timely manner is important. We want to make sure you are producing solar energy as soon as possible as well as create a better environment!
Verified Customer
My solar power is becoming expensive. I signed up for a 3% escalation each year and I'm only half way through the lease. In addition, I believe that panels have degenerated and newer panels are more efficient than 10 year old technology.
Reply from Sunrun
Mar 27, 2019
Hello Terry P. The thing to keep in mind is that utility rates have historically increased faster than the rate of our annual increase, and you'll still be protected from those rate hikes. Therefore your savings should increase over time because you most likely will not paying those higher rates to the utility.
Verified Customer
Top Notch Professional help. So far, everything has been true to what was said!
Reply from Sunrun
Mar 27, 2019
Woohoo, we loved reading this review Tim and BardJean. Thank you for your wonderful words, this is such a great experience and we are happy you shared it.
Verified Customer
every thing they said,came through. No cost instalation, my service is good/
Reply from Sunrun
Apr 15, 2019
We are so pleased to hear of your positive experience with your rep. It sounds like he made the process smooth and ensured we found the best solar solution to meet your needs.
Verified Customer
From the first encounter to the finish of installation, every person I dealt with was very knowledgeable and offered the best customer service I have ever received on a project like this.
Reply from Sunrun
Apr 15, 2019
We are so honored you chose us as your solar service provider! We want our customers to be able to make the best decision for them and their household, and we ensure that by educating them on all the ins and outs of solar. Congrats on going green, and thank you for helping us create a planet run by the sun!
Verified Customer
I'm paying SunRun $45 and Xcel $45 - up. I didn't see any savings over the winter, actually paying more with the combination of paying both, SunRun & Xcel. Also, I filled out a review a couple of months ago, soon after Victoria Espino-Customer care rep 3 reached out to me and asked me to explain. I did explain in depth and have yet to get a response to my concerns.
Reply from Sunrun
Mar 27, 2019
Hello Paula M. We are so sorry to hear about your experience with Customer Care. We want to make sure we are addressing our customer's issues by being responsive. The Sunrun invoice will have the total amount produced. Your utility bill will show how much excess energy was pushed to the utility grid and stored as a credit. Your utility bill will also detail how much additional energy you needed to purchase from the utility.
Verified Customer
Because it saves me money on my monthly bill.
Reply from Sunrun
Apr 15, 2019
We are delighted to hear that your experience was so positive! We are honored to be chosen as your solar service provider. Welcome to the Sunrun family.
Verified Customer
My energy savings has been well worth the investment
Reply from Sunrun
Apr 15, 2019
We love hearing positive feedback from our customers. We are so thrilled to hear that you're saving! We are looking forward for you to #savewiththesun! Congrats on your system, and thank you for helping us create a planet run by the sun!
Verified Customer
after purchase/contract really needs improvements!
Reply from Sunrun
Mar 27, 2019
Hello James, Thank you for your feedback, we appreciate the communication and will provide this information to our leadership team.
Verified Customer
The installation was completed as they indicated and system operates as advertised
Reply from Sunrun
Apr 15, 2019
We aim to make going solar as easy as possible. Congrats on going solar with Sunrun, and thank you for helping us create a planet run by the sun
Verified Customer
from my experience in doing business with sunrun and their personnel's patience
Reply from Sunrun
Apr 15, 2019
Thank you for sharing your experience Joe, and also for this wonderful review.
Verified Customer
Their customer service is awful. I went online o October 11. I continued to get bills from my original electric company for 5 months. I could not get anyone to listen to me. Finally I got a call fromOncor and they walked me through what needed to be done. I think it is finally working right.
Reply from Sunrun
Mar 27, 2019
Hello Geraldine D. Thank you for taking the time to provide us feedback. We understand this has not been an easy process due to the lack of communication. Please allow us to turn this experience around and have a Specialist reach out to you. Private message us your contact information so we can contact you.
Verified Customer
Could be cheaper each month since I still am paying a significant amount to SCE.
Reply from Sunrun
Apr 02, 2019
Keep in mind that the size of your utility bill is based on your usage. If your bill is higher than last year, you may be using more power than last year. Since your Sunrun rate is lower than that of your utility, that means you'd be paying even more for your current usage without solar. In other words, you're still saving.
Verified Customer
Has issues with underproduction. Took a while to straighten out
Reply from Sunrun
Apr 02, 2019
Cathy, thank you for providing us with this feedback, we will share your communication with our leadership team.
Verified Customer
No problems but after being a good customer for many years plus referrals,l am a offended by your emails when I am late with my payments. Your tone needs to be less confrontational.
Reply from Sunrun
Apr 15, 2019
We aim to make going solar as easy as possible, the same thing goes with our referral program. Congrats on going solar with Sunrun, and thank you for helping us create a planet run by the sun
Verified Customer
Excellent except for installation coordinator in Kona, who is a disorganized disastet
Reply from Sunrun
Apr 15, 2019
We are over the moon that you have decided to go with Sunrun! Congrats on making the decision to go solar! We can't wait to welcome you to the Sunrun family!
Lesson learned. If you prepay your entire array, sunrun has no incentive to service you. I had a small array, about 25 panels installed. Sunrun was the ongoing service provider. After 2 years, I’d lost nearly half of the panels. I called and called. It finally took an attorney to remind sunrun of their contractual service obligations. It was a 6 month grind of a service call that took a day to replace some cables. I can’t believe so many here have good things to say about their service. Perhaps it’s because being prepaid, there was no ongoing revenue, only liability and sunrun paid little to no attention to what the contract stated. If you’re going to prepay, be careful with your solar company not
Reply from Sunrun
Mar 27, 2019
Hello Jeff D. Thank you for your communication in regards to your product type. Prepaid has many benefits, you prepay for the energy upfront and Sunrun still monitors and maintains the system for the life of the agreement. We apologize if your system was experiencing service issues, we would like to review this with you in detail. Please provide us your contact information and a Specialist will reach out to you.
Great customer service and very knowledgeable representatives.
Reply from Sunrun
Apr 15, 2019
We are so pleased to hear of your positive experience with your representative. It sounds like he made the process smooth and ensured we found the best solar solution to meet your needs. Best of luck on your upcoming installation! Welcome to the Sunrun family!
Verified Customer
always pront in replying to your request.
Reply from Sunrun
Apr 15, 2019
We are so honored you chose us as your solar service provider! We want our customers to be able to make the best decision for them and their household, and we ensure that by educating them on all the ins and outs of solar. Congrats on going green, and thank you for helping us create a planet run by the sun!
Verified Customer
Produce power as expected. Customer service from sale phase to installation completion was very professional.
Reply from Sunrun
Apr 15, 2019
We are delighted to hear that you are finally live! Congrats on finally being solar, we can't wait to hear how you love the benefits!
Verified Customer
The customer support was responsive. The installation went pretty smooth. We got all of the solar panels including the battery and we got it there in reasonable time so we are happy about that.
Reply from Sunrun
Apr 15, 2019
What a great experience! Everything was installed as expected, and you are a satisfied customer, welcome to the Sunrun family!
Verified Customer
The customer service gets back to me all the time. The installation team cleans up after themselves. They have great sales people and the customer service is outstanding.
Verified Customer
The installation was okay. It took a while but this is the first time I've done it so I guess I'm satisfied. It's been working since 2013 and it's been pretty good.
Reply from Sunrun
Apr 15, 2019
We love hearing from our long term customers like you Noel. We are so pleased that after 6 plus year you are still happy with your system. Let's continue to power forward and create a better environment, and save you money!
Verified Customer
They seem to send refunds and communicate with me and I haven't needed anything else.
Reply from Sunrun
Apr 15, 2019
Thank you for your review Jed. We are happy to see that you've received the necessary communication. If you have questions, just remember we are a phone call away. Thank you for taking the time to leave this review. Power Forward!
Verified Customer
The service was great, I always knew what was going on. My service rep was great, kudos to him.
Reply from Sunrun
Apr 15, 2019
Communication is key and helps our customers understand what is going on during the process of going solar. We are happy to see you were content with the over service and your representative. Let's create a planet run by the sun.
Verified Customer
I stil have some issues I want to talk with the customer service about. I'm getting electric bills sent again and I thought they were going to monitor it.
Reply from Sunrun
Apr 15, 2019
Hello John, Once you go solar, your utility company will begin billing you as a "net energy metering" (NEM) customer. This means instead of billing you for all of your electricity usage, your utility will bill you for the difference between system production and how much total electricity your home needed for the month. For example, if the system generates 400 kWh of solar electricity and you used 600 kWh of electricity in your home, your utility company will only bill you for 200 kWh of electricity.
Customer service is poor. The rob call and texts were exhausting. After finally speaking to them I realized they would have been horrible had I signed up with them.
Not warm and fuzzy. Confused about how the installation is done. Not sure of the Cost?
Reply from Sunrun
Apr 05, 2019
Hello Peter, we want to make you feel warm by being a part of the Sunrun family! We are sorry this was not the case, please feel free to provide your contact information and we will reach out to you. Let us assist you in clearing up any confusion you have!
Dop not want to do business with me because SunRun does not like my Utility
Reply from Sunrun
Mar 27, 2019
Hello Kempers. We are sorry to hear you that you are not part of the Sunrun family, that is disheartening to hear. We work with a variety of Utility companies we can look at your situation in detail to see why were are not able to partner with them. Please feel free to private message us your contact information to reach out to you.
Verified Customer
The entire process has been seamless and as expected
Reply from Sunrun
Apr 15, 2019
Wow, this is great news Steve. We love to know that your process was seamless, we make it easy to go solar. Thank you for going solar with Sunrun.
Verified Customer
Friendly, efficient, great customer service
Reply from Sunrun
Apr 15, 2019
Hello, Spencer than you for sharing your kind words with us. Welcome to the Sunrun family!
Verified Customer
Good communication, quick responses, great customer service.
Reply from Sunrun
Apr 15, 2019
We are so pleased to hear you chose Sunrun as your solar service provider!
Verified Customer
Unwilling to add more panels to improve production
Reply from Sunrun
Mar 21, 2019
Hello, Keep in mind that the size of your utility bill is based on your usage. If your bill is higher than last year, you may be using more power than last year. Since your Sunrun rate is lower than that of your utility, that means you'd be paying even more for your current usage without solar.
Verified Customer
Sunrun has been reliable through their operation including installation and customer services.
Reply from Sunrun
Apr 15, 2019
Thank you for your kind words kml. We love to see that you are happy. We will always be a phone call away if you need anything. Thank you for helping us create a planet run by the sun.
Verified Customer
I got excellent service from sales, install, and service.
Reply from Sunrun
Apr 15, 2019
Thank you for the amazing review, Johann Lo. Welcome to the Sunrun family.
Verified Customer
When we signed up several years ago there were not that many options. It is my impression that there are far more now and that some of the deals would be more advantageous to me. Secondly, because of my finances I never set up automatic payments from my bank account. Banks are unforgiving if you live month to month and sometimes run short. I'd be happy to set up autopay with my credit card but that is not an option you offer. Too bad. The situation is irritating to us both.
Reply from Sunrun
Mar 21, 2019
Hello James W. We are happy to hear that you are one of our long term customers! Thank you for helping us create a planet run by the sun. Sunrun prefers that customers sign up for autopay because it ensures that a payment is made on time each month. This reduces the amount of time and resources dedicated to collecting payments from customers. It is a convenient option for customers because it occurs automatically and they don't have to worry about due dates and sending checks.
Verified Customer
From the moment we began working with Luke Johnson, everything went smoothly. We were always kept informed. Even the subcontractors who needed to work on our electrical panel were pleasant and concerned I knew the power would be off temporarily. The PayPal system has been easy, too.
Reply from Sunrun
Apr 15, 2019
Thank you, Ed and Lauren, for leaving your detailed review. We love to hear that everything went smoothly we strive to be efficient. Communication is key when working with our customers, we are delighted to see every detail necessary was communicated.
Verified Customer
We were very impressed with their contact with us when we needed to ask so many questions and with the people they had working for them that actually did the job.
Reply from Sunrun
Apr 15, 2019
Hello Richard and Anne K. Thank you for taking the time to leave this wonderful review, please let us know if you have any more questions. We are delighted to hear about your marvelous experience. Let's create a planet run by the sun.
Verified Customer
SunRun is attentive and professional. They are informative and competitive. They are only 4 stars because I have 2 residences that I had install solar and the billing was not set up properly and requires multiple follow ups on our part to straighten out
Reply from Sunrun
Mar 21, 2019
Hello Trini, thank you for your feedback. We love to hear that you were well informed and found our cost competitive. We're saddened to hear about the encountered billing issues, feel free to private message us your contact infomation.