Sunrun pursues direct-sales transition amid industry headwinds

Sunrun, the country's largest provider of leased rooftop solar and battery systems, reported a rough second quarter. New customer sign-ups fell 31% compared to last year, and installed solar and battery capacity dropped 23% and 15%. One bright spot: 74% of new systems now include a battery, up from 70% a year earlier. The company is shifting away from selling through outside affiliate partners toward its own in-house sales staff, a change that has been bumpier than expected, partly because a major installation partner, Freedom Forever, went bankrupt in April. Sunrun says its direct sales have picked up in recent months.

For homeowners, this mostly signals a company in transition rather than a change in what's available to you. If you're considering solar and storage from Sunrun, you may be dealing with newer, in-house sales reps rather than a local affiliate company. Battery attachment is increasingly the norm for new solar customers, which fits with many states' incentive programs that reward pairing solar with storage.

The news also touches California homeowners specifically: tax breaks that exempt residential solar systems from property tax and utility user tax increases are set to expire at the end of 2026 unless state lawmakers act, which could raise costs for solar customers there. Sunrun also noted that California sales still haven't recovered to levels seen before the state's 2023 shift to its current net billing rules, which reduced compensation for solar exports to the grid.