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Sunrun

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9.1

Overall Score

Author: Kaitlyn Short

LAST UPDATED: September 18th, 2024

After conducting exhaustive research on top solar companies 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. This Sunrun solar review will break down the company's solar services as compared to other companies in the solar industry.

Sunrun, the nation’s largest residential solar, storage, and energy service company, has installed over 1,600 megawatts of solar power and helped hundreds of thousands of consumers. The company is based in San Francisco, California.

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.

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The Good

  • Payment Flexibility
  • Customizable Sunrun Solar Systems
  • Sunrun Solar Process
  • 25-Year Maintenance
  • Sunrun Solar Panel Warranties 
  • Sunrun Customer Care Team
  • Sunrun Solar Battery Storage Options
  • High Level of Transparency with Customers
  • Installation Experience
  • Extensive Availability
  • Positive Sunrun Solar Reviews

Payment Flexibility

To fit customer needs, Sunrun offers several solar financing options, including solar lease, Power Purchase Agreement (PPAs), prepayment, outright purchase, and solar loan.

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. PPAs from Sunrun help the homeowner save on his or her electric bill.

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.

Customizable Sunrun Solar Systems

Sunrun understands that when it comes to renewable energy, every customer's home, lifestyle, and savings goals are unique.

As a result, the solar company customizes every solar panel installation to the customer's needs using its own proprietary Automated Site Modeling design technology. With just a few pieces of information and satellite imagery of the rooftop, Sunrun's Automated Site Modeling software quickly designs a custom solar energy system to maximize production.

Sunrun Solar Process

Sunrun strives to make switching to clean energy as simple and hassle-free as possible for its customers. The solar installer saves 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.

25-Year Maintenance

If Sunrun customers choose to lease or obtain a PPA, Sunrun will own the solar panel system and, therefore, is responsible for all maintenance and repairs of the system.

For leased or PPA systems, Sunrun provides a 25-year maintenance and repair service, including daily monitoring and performance guarantees.

Customers who purchase their systems receive a 10-year warranty, which covers workmanship and roof protection from leaks or holes. ​Additionally, Sunrun will refund customers if the panels installed on their roof ever underperform.

Sunrun Solar Panel Warranties

Other benefits of Sunrun's product include a 10-year warranty on systems that are purchased and up to a 25-year warranty on systems that are leased. The warranties cover maintenance, repairs, and daily monitoring at no additional fee. The company's monitoring team oversees 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. Each solar customer's Sunrun contract also includes a roof warranty, which protects the roof from leaks or holes.

Sunrun Customer Care Team

Sunrun provides a U.S.-based customer care team that is ready to answer questions and help resolve any issues that may arise.

Sunrun Solar Battery Storage Options

Sunrun offers a solar 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.

Brightbox also helps customers manage electricity costs 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 helpful information on its website and strives to be very transparent with its customers. The company's website includes detailed solar education and FAQ sections, a helpful Guarantee page, and an informative "Plans and Services" page that will help customers better understand Sunrun's products and how to 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 1,600 megawatts of solar energy.

As a result, the solar energy company has offset 3.7 million tons of carbon emissions and helped more than 240,000 customers to control their energy bill.

Extensive Availability

Sunrun currently offers solar energy services in 22 states:

  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Florida
  • Hawaii
  • Illinois
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • Texas
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington, D.C.

Positive Sunrun Solar Reviews

Over 60 percent of Sunrun customer reviews are 4 or 5 stars. This means more than 1,000 happy customers across the United States to date.

Happy Sunrun customers talk about quick and efficient customer service when problems arose during installation, the company's proactiveness in setting up and keeping appointments, and the respectful and friendly Sunrun staff.

Check out this positive Sunrun solar review from a happy client:

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Paul P. from California City, CA

"They have a great service team. It started at the point of contact and included every person they sent to my house. There was one point when I thought that there was a malfunction. They assured me that I wouldn't need to hire anyone else to fix it. They talked me through it on the phone."

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The Bad

  • Outsourcing Installations for Remote Homes
  • Sunrun Customer Complaints

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.

Sunrun Customer Complaints

While a typical Sunrun review is 4 or 5 stars, Sunrun does receive about 25 percent 1-star reviews. These unhappy customers complain about the company not prioritizing existing customers, being short on staff and taking months to get an appointment, and overpromising and underdelivering when it comes to solar production and savings.

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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? Find out more. Want to learn more about Sunrun? Check out the Sunrun solar reviews from real customers below.

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Sunrun Frequently Asked Questions

How does going solar with Sunrun work?

After you sign your Sunrun agreement, you’re ready for solar panel installation. The best part? You don’t have to lift a finger because we take care of everything from scheduling to submitting permits, to working with the city and utility, and securing your solar panels to your roof. Naturally you’ll have questions, and we’ll be right there with you answering them every step of the way. Once you’re approved for a Sunrun solar installation, your home will undergo a site assessment and an expert solar technician will visit your home to confirm your system design. After that, our solar design experts make any necessary adjustments to your design and get your final approval. Once you’ve approved your system design, we submit your design to the city for permitting. From there, either Sunrun or one of our local certified partners perform your solar installation. We only partner with the top-rated solar installers, so know you’ll have the highest quality solar installation available. When your installation is complete, the city or county will perform a final inspection on your system. Once it’s approved, it will be connected to the grid, and we’ll submit your documents to the utility company. After your utility company grants Permission to Operate, you’re ready to start powering your home with the sun.

How much does a solar energy system from Sunrun cost?

Solar home solar system prices vary by home, your utility company, and your location. Contact Sunrun for a quote today.

What solar panels does Sunrun use in its installations?

Sunrun uses standard and high-performance solar panels in its installations.

How long does it take for Sunrun to install solar panels?

The process of having a home solar system installed on your roof can be relatively quick. Many Sunrun installations are completed in one day. But before our crew comes to your house, we take a few weeks to prepare your project so that you have the smoothest installation day possible. You will have a team of experts working for you during this time who handle the tasks necessary for a smooth solar installation and keep you updated along the way. Our customer app also allows you to see your installation status during this time: - Conduct a site survey to look at your roof, attic and electrical panel - Finalize your custom design - Apply for permits and wait for approval - Collect other necessary approvals and documentation that is specific to your neighborhood, such as HOA approval Your project coordinator will be in touch with you throughout this time to keep you up-to-date on your progress. When it comes time to install the system, your installation coordinator will let you know how long the construction process will take for your home.

How long is a Sunrun agreement?

In general, our Sunrun agreements last for up to 25 years. Contact a Sunrun solar advisor for more information.

What happens at the end of a Sunrun agreement?

When you reach the end of your Sunrun agreement, you have three options: - You can purchase the solar system at the fair market value (excluding New York homeowners). - You can renew your lease with us on an annual basis. - Sunrun can remove the system at no cost to you. When you reach the end of your agreement, the Sunrun Customer Care team will help you with moving forward however you choose.

Does Sunrun offer a warranty?

All of our solar equipment is backed by robust warranties. When you choose BrightSave, your solar system will also come with 24/7 monitoring and maintenance. So if it breaks, we’ll fix it, free of charge. Contact us to learn more about our Comprehensive Home Solar System Support.

Does Sunrun offer solar monitoring?

Yes! We have a monitoring team dedicated to keeping an eye on your home solar system. Here’s how it works: - We record production (in real-time) — Your Sunrun meter counts your kilowatts as they’re produced. - We collect your production data (every six hours) — Four times a day, your Sunrun meter sends your production data to our Denver-based monitoring team, where all production data is collected, stored, and analyzed. - We evaluate your production (every day) — We compare your production to the estimates included in your contract to confirm that your system is working as expected. We also check the weather and other systems in your neighborhood to make sure you’re harvesting just as much sunshine as your neighbors. - We fix what needs fixing (if necessary) — If your system isn’t working as expected, we will identify the issue and rectify the situation. If we cannot fix your system with remote troubleshooting, we may need to send a technician to take a look at your system in person.

How many states is Sunrun in?

Sunrun currently offers residential solar service in 22 states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Sunrun states are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Wisconsin.
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