Sunrun Solar: Reviews, Services and Costs (2023)

Going solar involves some high upfront costs that not everyone can afford. In this Sunrun solar review, see how solar leases and power purchase agreements (PPAs) can offer affordable payment options for generating clean energy for your home and neighbors.

We at the Guides Home Team named Sunrun our pick for leasing options when we ranked the best solar companies in the U.S. due to its personalized leasing programs. Keep reading to learn more about Sunrun's solar services, warranty, cost and payment options.

If you’re ready to go solar or would like to learn more about making the switch, select one of our top-rated providers below to receive your solar quote today.

*BBB ratings are accurate as of April 2023.

Here are a few key highlights about Sunrun:

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:

Sunrun offers solar installations, as well as 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 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:

To help you get a better idea of customer experience, we’ve included a sampling of Sunrun reviews below.

Positive reviews mention the company's quick and straightforward installation process and its friendly customer support staff. Critical reviews mention electricity prices not changing as intended or difficulty scheduling repairs and maintenance. We contacted Sunrun about these negative remarks and the cons listed in this review, but the company did not provide a comment.

Read over what Sunrun customers say about their experiences below:

"I have been a longtime customer … Sunrun has met or exceeded my expectations for its products and services. The only thing I need to do is get a good backup generator or battery to run the house when the power is totally out at night. But I recommend Sunrun to about half a dozen friends and family that have [signed] up and they are very happy." —Debbie B. via the BBB

"The Sunrun team did a great job from start to finish. The installers were efficient and friendly. I learned a lot from them to add to my base understanding of solar. I very highly recommend SunRun to anybody. I was kept informed throughout the process." —Bill Z. via the BBB

"Hope you never have a problem with your solar panels. [It has] been about four months and was just told [it's] going to be three more months before it will be fixed. The sales rep will not allow me to talk to her manager. This company [customer] service team is really bad about calling you back." —Robert M. via the BBB

"This company clearly indicated to us that by using its system we would enjoy a life virtually free of electricity costs from the public utility. While our cost did reduce, we still pay more [than] $2,000 annually to the utility. In addition, we pay Sunrun $2,240 annually for the use of the system! That works out to more [than] $4,200 for electricity! Sunrun has not lived up to its claims and cares almost nothing about us, unless we are late with the bill!" —Marc S. via the BBB

*BBB information is accurate as of April 2023.

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.

Sunrun uses high-efficiency monocrystalline solar panels from popular and reputable solar manufacturers like LONGi. Read our review of the best solar panels for homes to learn more about high-quality solar equipment.

Typically, a solar system installation is viewed as an upgrade, similar to kitchen expansions, finished basements and updated bathroom fixtures. In fact, a 2019 study by Zillow found that solar panels increase the value of homes by an average of 4.1%

No, Sunrun is not a scam. Sunrun is a reputable company that offers solar panel installation, EV chargers and solar batteries across 20 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. Solar is worth it for most customers, especially after considering the federal solar tax credit, net metering and local rebates.

Yes, Sunrun offers solar leases. Solar leases can help you generate clean energy without the high cost of buying your solar panels upfront. Sunrun allows you to enter a lease agreement with a low monthly payment for up to 25 years.

Yes. Sunrun acquired Vivint in 2020.

Sunrun is headquartered in San Francisco, Calif., but has offices in Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, Washington, D.C. and Wisconsin.

We closely evaluated seven crucial factors according to our solar panel installation company methodology to rank the best providers in the industry. Based on a 100-point scale, we came up with each provider's score out of five stars. Here's how we assessed each company:

Tori Addison is an editor who has worked in the digital marketing industry for over five years. Her experience includes communications and marketing work in the nonprofit, governmental and academic sectors. A journalist by trade, she started her career covering politics and news in New York's Hudson Valley. Her work included coverage of local and state budgets, federal financial regulations and health care legislation.

Faith Wakefield is a writer based in North Carolina. She holds economics and English degrees from UNC Chapel Hill, and her work has been featured on EcoWatch, The World Economic Forum and Today's Homeowner. In her free time, she loves to binge-watch personal finance videos on YouTube, collect books and spend time in nature.