SunRun is a well-known solar company that pioneered the solar lease program. If you're interested in getting solar installed on your home but don't want to pay for the system (or accept responsibility for it) SunRun is a good option. The highly experienced team has helped more than 60,000 customers since 2007. It relies on a network of installers to take care of the work, but all consultants are managed by the company itself. SunRun offers several leasing plans and is a highly flexible company.

Equipment

A Blend of Panels - SunRun utilizes a network of installers and equipment to add solar to your home. They get panels from different suppliers depending on where they are having the work done. Recently SunRun committed to buying many RecSolar panels and will be using those for a large number of future installations. Rec panels are polycrystalline and provide a dense source of power which is good for smaller rooftops.

The Inverter - SunRun utilizes a single inverter to convert the power from all the panels from DC to AC for use by your home. This is more affordable than micro-inverters but also less reliable and efficient. These things don't matter as much to the customer, since you only pay for an agreed amount of power produced.

How it Works

The Evaluation - First SunRun sends out a specialist to take a look at your roof and decide if it can accommodate solar panels safely and efficiently. Next, the expert finds out what you spend on electricity and how much is used, and determines if solar would save you money. Finally they speak with you and figure out what you want for solar and if it is a good fit. This is also the time when the expert will go over the different leasing options.

The Design - After that initial consultation SunRun engineers will put together an ideal system for your home and put together plans for the installers.

Installation - A team of professional installers within SunRun's network will go out to your home and put on the provided panels and equipment. They take care to complete the installation respectfully and quickly.

Rebates and Incentives - SunRun processes all the rebates and incentives available to you and rolls those savings up into the agreement offered to save you more money.

Saving Money - Enjoy a lower utility bill each month and relying less on the power company for your energy.

Monitoring

SunRun will track your system all along and take care of anything that goes wrong with it; but if you decide that you want to take a look at what's happening on top of your roof, you have that option as well. With SunRun, you get a monitoring system that you can access easily from most of your electronic devices. You can take out your phone or tablet, or hop on your computer to take a look at the output of your system.

Cost

Solar Lease - 20 years, pay for energy with little or nothing down, pay fixed amount each month, tax rebates and incentives all rolled up into plan.

Nothing Upfront - With the zero-down program, you don't pay anything initially to get the system put in. From then on, you make a monthly payment that increases each year throughout the life of the plan.

Prepaid - If you decide on the prepaid plan, you pay for all the electricity the system will produce throughout its lifetime initially, and you don't have to worry about any monthly payments throughout the term of the agreement. This is the simplest option and offers a good level of savings.

Locked-in - With the locked-in plan, customers pay between $1,000 and $3,000 initially and get to enjoy a set monthly payment for the life of the 20-year agreement. It's stable, reliable and very affordable in markets with rising energy costs.

Customer Support

SunRun makes customer support quick and easy. There is one number that all customers call, and they are directed to the department that makes the most sense. The number is available during most business hours and makes it easy to get in touch with the helpful support staff. The only downside to this system is that you will have to go through a few steps before talking with local representatives, which can make calls a bit longer.

The Good…

• SunRun relies on a very simple process to allow customers to go from asking questions to having a full system installed on their house.
• A simple web application allows you to monitor the process along the way, and all the hard work is taken care of by the company.

The Bad…

• SunRun provides one number to all of their customers for support. This makes things simple, but also extends call times.

And The Ugly

• SunRun only offers lease formants, and if you don't want to lease your solar panels, you may need to find a solar company that sells their systems outright.