Sunrun Solar: Reviews, Services and Costs (2024) – MarketWatch

• Our rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars
• Year founded: 2007
• Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating*: Not rated
• State availability: 20 states, plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico
• Warranty: 10-year workmanship and equipment warranty, 25-year performance guarantee
• Services offered: Solar installations, backup batteries, electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and system monitoring

*BBB ratings are accurate as of April 2023.

Sunrun has offices in over 175 cities across 20 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. 

Sunrun completes every step of its solar installations in-house, including the consultation, design and proposal and permitting processes. Here is what you can expect during the company’s installation process:

• Consultation: Once you contact Sunrun, a representative will reach out to you to schedule a virtual consultation. Together, you will work to determine your solar panel system design, appearance and additional equipment. You will also share your savings goals, credit score and average monthly electricity bill so Sunrun can determine your financing options. Most solar energy companies will also tell you if you need a new roof or any repairs before installing solar. 
• Design and proposal: A Sunrun salesperson will follow up with a detailed proposal during this step, including your custom-designed solar system, estimated monthly savings and any tax incentives added to your quoted price. 
• Permitting: Sunrun will handle all permits and approvals required to install and activate your solar panels. Depending on your city or county requirements, this step may take anywhere between one to three weeks. You may receive phone calls from Sunrun during this time with any updates. 
• Installation: Once permitting is completed, Sunrun will install your system on a date of your choice.
• Final inspection and activation: Finally, your local utility company must conduct one last inspection before Sunrun can activate your system. 

Sunrun offers solar installations and additional solar equipment like backup batteries — including the Tesla Powerwall — and EV chargers. If you are interested in solar battery storage, the Sunrun Brightbox™ is designed to keep your power on at night, on cloudy days or during power outages.

Sunrun customers also have access to home energy and solar system monitoring.

Sunrun Solar Panel Options

Sunrun installs a variety of solar panel options for different locations and energy requirements. While it does not disclose the panel brands on its website, Sunrun’s preference for Tier 1 brands offers homeowners high-efficiency panels with strong warranties.

For many years, Sunrun used solar panels manufactured by LG Solar. These were among the best solar panels on the market, with high-efficiency ratings and durable construction. However, LG Solar shut down its solar panel business in 2022, and Sunrun now uses solar modules from other Tier 1 manufacturers.

Sunrun Solar Battery Options

Sunrun offers solar batteries manufactured by Tesla and LG Chem. The Tesla Powerwall is available to homeowners in every state except Alaska, while the LG RESU battery is available under Sunrun’s Brightbox™ package. The Brightbox™ package is a Sunrun-LG Chem partnership to offer solar battery options in several states. Tesla and LG build quality lithium batteries, offering noteworthy efficiency and warranties.

Sunrun offers a comprehensive, 10-year workmanship and product warranty on all of its solar panel installations. This warranty covers your entire solar energy system, even your inverter, extra equipment like your solar battery and roof damage caused by your panels.

Sunrun also offers a 25-year power production guarantee. So if your panels ever underperform, Sunrun will reimburse you the full cost of any energy lost. 

Although other solar providers like SunPower offer a 25-year warranty covering workmanship and solar, Sunrun still has a relatively good warranty with comprehensive coverage. 

Customers who purchased their solar panels with Sunrun paid an average of $15,000 to $20,000 for a 10 kilowatt (kW) system, according to our 2023 survey of 1,000 homeowners with solar. However, the cost of your solar panels will depend on where you live, the size of your system, the type of panels you choose and more. Additionally, Sunrun partners with Costco to offer members a Costco Shop Card worth 10% of their total solar purchases. 

With Sunrun, you can pay for your solar panels through a cash purchase, loan, lease or PPA. You can enter a monthly lease or PPA with Sunrun for $0 down and terms of up to 25 years. 

Curious about how much your Sunrun system will cost or what financing option is best for you? Receive a free, customized quote from a Sunrun sales representative and learn more about going solar today:

Based on our research, Sunrun has received mixed reviews from its customer base. While many homeowners are happy with Sunrun’s product and service quality, others highlight delayed customer-service response times and an insignificant impact on their electricity bills. Here are some reviews we gathered from Sunrun’s Better Business Bureau and Trustpilot profiles to help you determine overall customer sentiment about the brand.

Not everyone has the resources to purchase a solar photovoltaic (PV) system up-front. Sunrun can make the process of going solar more cost-effective by offering solar loan and leasing options. A solar lease allows you to reap the benefits of renewable energy while not having to deal with other complications, like handling system maintenance and repairs. Plus, Sunrun provides rate-hike protection, a 10-year comprehensive warranty and access to high-quality solar panels. 

Despite Sunrun’s warranty being on the shorter end, it is comprehensive. Sunrun also includes maintenance and the unique perk of theft and damage protection for its solar power systems.