Is Sunrun a legit company?

Sunrun is a legitimate solar installer leading the industry in quantity of installs and breadth of products offered. Hundreds of thousands of homes across the country have installed solar power with Sunrun. Though Sunrun is legitimate, there is a concerning amount of bad reviews regarding Sunrun’s customer experience. Often, unconcerned sales staff can make customers feel their business was not taken seriously.

Is Sunrun solar a good deal?

As is the case with most solar providers, getting a good deal is dependent on many factors. Sunrun is certainly capable of providing customers with a solar energy system that saves them money, but a better deal might be found by a different solar provider, especially if you are looking to purchase panels rather than lease from Sunrun.

Is Sunrun owned by Tesla?

Sunrun is not owned by Tesla. In fact, Sunrun is one of Tesla’s biggest rival companies in the solar industry. Unlike Sunrun, Tesla solar offerings focus more on products and less on installation services, so the companies are distinctly different.

Which is better, SunPower or Sunrun?

Which company is better will depend on what the customer is looking for. If you’re looking for customer service, a high BBB rating and to purchase high-quality panels, we’d likely recommend SunPower over Sunrun. If you’re a customer looking for a quick and easy solar panel lease to save a small but guaranteed rate on your energy bill each month, Sunrun may be the better choice.

Where is Sunrun available?

Sunrun is available in 22 states and territories, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico.

Sunrun Solar Reviews (Costs, Quality & More in 2023)

Here’s what we’ll cover in this guide:

What services and products does Sunrun offer?
Does Sunrun offer quality solar panels?
What to expect when working with Sunrun?

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Home Solar Solar Companies Sunrun

Written by Karsten Neumeister

Reviewed by Melissa Smith

Updated as of January 13, 2023

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We work with a panel of solar experts to create unbiased reviews that empower you to make the right choice for your home. No other solar site has covered renewables as long as us, which means we have more data and insider information than other sites.

Sunrun Solar Reviewed at a Glance:

Sunrun Fast Facts
Year Started	2007
Service Areas	22 states and territories, including AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, HI, IL, MD, MA, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, PA, RI, SC, TX, VT, WI, Puerto Rico and Washington D.C.
Solar Service Types	Solar panel and backup battery installations
Types of Panels	High-efficiency monocrystalline panels from top solar suppliers like LONGi and Costco
Backup Battery Options	Brightbox Home Battery storage, which uses lithium-ion batteries like the Tesla Powerwall and the LG Chem
Certifications	Solar Energy Industries Association
Better Business Bureau (BBB) Rating	B+ with accreditation

Sunrun is a good and practical choice for customers looking to quickly and simply save money on their energy bills through a solar lease. However, for homeowners looking for attentive customer service both before and after installation, we advise you to shop around.

Sunrun Pros	Sunrun Cons
Expansive service area	Expensive labor
Backup battery services	Frequent customer service issues
Free maintenance on leases
Flexible financing and lease options

Sunrun availability around the country and free maintainance makes it an easy to shop and own solar panel company. The flexible options they offer when it comes to finances also helps give it a plus in our books, but like mentioned before, the customer service complaints is something to keep top of mind.

Learn more about how we rank our solar providers through our methodology

Sunrun

Best for Leasing

EcoWatch rating

Average cost

Pros

Regional
Many financing options

Cons

Some reported issues with customer service
Some reported issues with door-to-door sales

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Sunrun 2023 Overview

Based in San Francisco, California, Sunrun is one of the nation’s top solar companies. It focuses on installing custom-designed solar arrays and backup battery systems, and installations are performed quickly and easily by the provider’s massive fleet of technicians. Sunrun also offers a solar leasing program that’s popular among customers.

Founded in 2007, Sunrun’s mission is to create a world run by solar energy. Since 2007, Sunrun has expanded at an impressive rate, now offering services in over 20 states as well as Puerto Rico and Washington D.C. It even acquired a fellow national provider, Vivint Solar, in 2020.

Sunrun designs solar panel layouts custom to a roof’s shape via satellite imagery, giving homeowners more control over the appearance and efficiency of their systems. The company’s integrated home solar battery storage service, Brightbox, sets it apart from the many other providers that have yet to deploy storage options that bring a number of key benefits to solar customers (such as energy availability during a power outage).

Sunrun also provides a wide variety of solar financing options for its customers. Catering to a large client base has allowed for Sunrun’s massive growth, but it’s also presented challenges that have soured the company’s reputation online. The BBB gives Sunrun a rating of a B+, which is lower than the average solar provider.

What Is Sunrun’s Solar Panel Installation Process Like?

Sunrun is a comprehensive solar energy installer, providing design and installation of custom solar solutions complete with backup battery storage, home energy monitoring and energy control during outages. These tools can help homeowners manage, store and monitor their home’s energy use for additional savings on their electric bills.

The types of panels and inverters Sunrun offers come from brand names like SolarEdge, LONGi and Costco. They are ideal for the quick and easy installations that Sunrun prides itself on. An average customer could expect the installation process to look like this:

Receive a free quote by providing preliminary i nformation such as your address, monthly energy costs and credit score.
If interested after receiving the quote, a Sunrun sales rep will provide a detailed proposal including your custom system design, appearance and estimated energy savings over the course of the system’s lifetime. The proposal should include any local and state solar incentives, so be sure to make note that any are included.
Once you’ve decided on the custom system that fits your needs, you will need to complete paperwork and obtain permits and approvals. Sunrun will handle the permits and approvals from your presiding city or county, but you should expect this process to take a few weeks.
During the permitting process, Sunrun will also check for net metering programs through your utility company and will enroll you if eligible.
Once all permits and approvals are gathered, Sunrun will install your system. With Sunrun’s resources, this will likely be the easiest part of the entire process.
Finally, you’ll need to pass inspection and turn on the system. Once the system is installed, both the city and your electric company will most likely require inspections. Sunrun will handle the logistics of both. Once these pass, a customer will be able to turn the system on.

The below video gives an in-depth look at the installation process.

Sunrun’s Solar Panel Warranty

All Sunrun installations, whether leases or purchases, are covered by the Sunrun Guarantee. This 10-year comprehensive warranty includes free equipment replacement and system repairs, covers all parts and labor costs and guarantees that roof penetrations are watertight.

Sunrun advertises free maintenance, repairs and insurance on its products, but it should be noted that those services are only available to customers leasing panels through Sunrun. Any customers who have purchased panels from Sunrun will be held to the product warranty of the panels they purchase (typically between 12-25 years). As such, all warranty claims will be handled through the panel manufacturer rather than Sunrun.

How Much Do Sunrun’s Solar Panel Systems Cost?

The cost of a solar system from a particular provider is difficult to estimate, as pricing can vary widely depending on your state, your roof and your home’s energy needs. As Sunrun has been an industry leader for some time, most other solar providers actually offer installations at a slightly lower cost to give them a competitive edge. This is just another reason we encourage our readers to get quotes from competing solar companies.

Much of Sunrun’s expansion can also be credited to its utilization of solar leases, which allow homeowners to rent solar equipment from Sunrun at a monthly cost. Though leasing panels provides immediate energy savings with a low upfront cost, purchasing panels provides the greatest value long-term. Keep in mind that leases will not be eligible for rebates or the solar tax credit (ITC).

Solar Financing Options

Sunrun offers four different solar plans for its customers.

Monthly lease: This option requires the least money down but also provides the least overall value. Sunrun retains ownership of the panels and you make monthly payments to purchase the clean energy they generate. The monthly payments are guaranteed to be less than what your utility payment would be, but the savings are not as great as they would be if you purchased the panels.
Full lease: In a full lease, the customer pays Sunrun an upfront fee to rent the panels for around 25 years (the term of the lease can vary). Sunrun retains ownership of the solar equipment. This saves a customer more money than a monthly lease, but it’s still significantly less than if a customer purchased panels.
Monthly loan: Customers can receive a solar loan from a third party to fund the purchase of solar equipment. These loans require monthly payments and typically have a payback period of between five and 10 years. In a monthly loan, a customer still owns the system outright, which adds to their property value, allows them to claim the solar tax credit and provides greater long-term energy savings than a lease. However, they will pay interest on the loan, making the system more expensive.
Full purchase: A full purchase is the most recommended method of investing in solar power. When customers purchase panels, they buy the system designed by Sunrun outright. Immediately, the solar panels add property value and the homeowner is eligible for the solar tax credit. Over time, homeowners will see a larger return on investment when paying in cash.

What Do Sunrun Customers Have to Say?

Sunrun’s size is both its biggest strength and its biggest weakness, and most customer reviews reflect just that. Positive Sunrun solar reviews praise the company’s speed and ease of installation, yet a high employee turnover rate, communication troubles and growing pains have plagued a number of customers who feel their needs were not met.

Positive Sunrun Reviews

The size and resources of Sunrun make its business model reliant on high volumes of installed solar panels. Positive reviews usually reflect a quick and easy installation with immediate energy savings and little to no maintenance or further customer support needed. Most frequently, these positive reviews come from customers who opted for a solar lease rather than ownership.

Here are a couple of examples:

“I originally had my Solar installed by another company that was eventually purchased by Sunrun. The service with Sunrun has been far better than the service with the previous company.” — Brian Schopf via Trustpilot

“We have had our Sunrun system in place for over a year now. No problems at all. They were very courteous and responsive during the installation process.” — Peter W via Better Business Bureau

Negative Sunrun Reviews

Most of Sunrun’s negative reviews stem from a lack of attention to a customer’s needs. Sunrun is one of the nation’s largest solar providers, which presents challenges for customers troubleshooting issues with their system’s performance.

Solar panel issues can be difficult to troubleshoot, and the size of Sunrun’s client base can make the company’s customer service department more difficult to get in touch with than a smaller solar provider.

This Sunrun review reflects the overall sentiment from dissatisfied customers:

“Worst company ever for follow-up once you have a problem… I have been waiting for a new inverter [for] seven months. No one bothers to tell you what they are going to do, or what they have done once they finally get to your house for a repair. No written report to update you. I have lost money this year because my system is either not running or is underperforming.”

— Linda T via Better Business Bureau

Learn More About Best Solar Panels by Watt

Final Thoughts on Sunrun Solar

Sunrun’s mission, size and breadth of services make it one of the most well-known solar providers in the country today. However, its B+ BBB rating and poor reputation for customer service may make some buyers wary. An average customer experience with Sunrun will depend greatly on the quality of the sales representative assigned to your area, and many homeowners have run into bad experiences.

You can start getting free quotes from a number of solar installers near you below.

How Does Sunrun Compare to Other Leading Solar Providers?

To put this Sunrun review in perspective, let’s compare the company to a few other national providers. Sunrun typically ranks highly in services offered, service areas and flexible payment options. Where Sunrun unsurprisingly falters is in its reputation for customer service and BBB rating.

Sunrun	BlueRaven	SunPower
Year Started	2007	2014	1985
Solar Services Offered	Solar panel installation, battery installation, monitoring, maintenance	Solar panel installation, monitoring, maintenance	Solar panel installation, battery installation, monitoring
Service Areas	AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, HI, IL, MD, MA, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, PA, RI, SC, TX, VT, WI, Puerto Rico and Washington D.C.	CO, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MO, NC, NV, OH, OR, SC, TX, UT, VA	All 50 States
BBB Rating	B+	A+	A+
Payment Options	Cash, loan, lease, solar PPA	Cash, in-house financing plans	Cash, loan, lease

FAQs: Sunrun Solar

Here are the most common questions we get about Sunrun. If you have specific questions that aren’t answered here, reach out to our team of solar experts at solar@ecowatch.com.

Karsten Neumeister

Article author

Karsten is an editor and energy specialist focused on environmental, social and cultural development. His work has been shared by sources including NPR, the World Economic Forum, Marketwatch and the SEIA, and he is certified in ESG with the CFA Institute. Before joining EcoWatch, Karsten worked in the solar energy sector, studying energy policy, climate tech and environmental education. A lover of music and the outdoors, Karsten might be found rock climbing, canoeing or writing songs when away from the workplace.

Melissa Smith, Solar Expert

Expert reviewer

Melissa is an avid writer, scuba diver, backpacker and all-around outdoor enthusiast. She graduated from the University of Florida with degrees in journalism and sustainability studies. Before joining EcoWatch, Melissa worked as the managing editor of Scuba Diving magazine and the communications manager of The Ocean Agency, a nonprofit that’s featured in the Emmy award-winning documentary Chasing Coral.