Data approachEIA rates · NREL sun hours · 2026 federal policy · methodology
Sunrun is the largest residential solar and battery provider in the United States, with 1,034,738 subscribers as of June 30, 2026, according to its Q2 2026 results. It sells service in 22 states plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. If you are weighing a Sunrun lease, the decision comes down to three things: your electric bill today, what you will pay Sunrun over 20 to 25 years, and what happens when you sell the home.
Short answer: a Sunrun lease is a no-money-down way to go solar, and in 2026 it is also the main route to the federal credit, because the homeowner credit for purchased systems expired on December 31, 2025. The trade-off is a long contract with an annual price escalator, so compare it with a loan, a PPA and your current utility rate before signing.
This review draws on Sunrun’s investor filings, Sunrun’s seller documentation, NerdWallet’s review and 2026 tax-credit guidance from EnergySage and Solar.com. Review scores and prices change often, so verify current figures before you sign.
💰 System Cost
How a Sunrun Lease Works and What It Costs
Under Sunrun’s BrightSave lease, Sunrun owns the system, maintains it, and charges you a fixed monthly payment. Sunrun’s investor site describes fixed pricing under 20 or 25 year agreements. NerdWallet reports that Sunrun’s lease and PPA customers get 25 years of monitoring, repairs and a performance guarantee, plus a 10-year workmanship warranty that includes roof leak coverage.
Sunrun does not publish standard pricing, and every quote is customized to your roof, utility and system size. Instead of a national average, focus on two numbers in your quote: the first-year monthly payment and the annual escalator. NerdWallet reports escalators are typically about 2.5% per year but range from 0% to 3.5%.
Sunrun offers a monthly lease and a prepaid lease (BrightSave Prepaid), where you pay up front for 20 or 25 years of service in exchange for no monthly payments. Neither gives you ownership of the system. The escalator matters because it compounds, as the charts below show.
Data visualization
Cumulative 25-year lease payments by escalator rate. At a hypothetical $110 starting payment, totals run from $33,000 to $51,414. Calculated illustration, not a Sunrun quote; escalator range per NerdWallet 2026.
Chart summary: with the same $110 starting payment, a 0% escalator totals $33,000 over 25 years, a 2.5% escalator $45,088, and a 3.5% escalator $51,414. The gap between the lowest and highest case is $18,414. Compare total payments across quotes, not just the year-one payment.
The same compounding shows up month by month. A payment that starts at $110 does not stay there unless the escalator is 0%.
Data visualization
Monthly lease payment by contract year. By year 25 a $110 starting payment reaches about $199 at 2.5% and about $251 at 3.5%. Formula: $110 x (1 + escalator)^(year - 1); hypothetical example.
Chart summary: at 2.5% the monthly payment passes $137 by year 10 and reaches about $199 by year 25. At 3.5% it passes $178 by year 15 and reaches about $251. Ask any provider for the escalator in writing and test it against your utility’s recent rate increases.
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🌎 Comparison
Sunrun Lease vs. Buying Solar in 2026
The tax picture changed in 2026. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed July 4, 2025, ended the 25D homeowner credit for systems purchased with cash or a loan after December 31, 2025. EnergySage reports that leases and PPAs continue to qualify under the commercial 48E credit if they begin construction before July 2026 or are placed in service by 2028. In a lease, the provider claims the credit and may pass value through in your payment.
That means the old “buy it and take 30% back” math no longer applies. Buying can still make sense, especially with cheap financing or strong net metering, but you pay the full cost without a federal credit. Leasing gives you no ownership and no equity, but it lowers the upfront cost and shifts maintenance to Sunrun.
Use our solar lease vs. buy calculator with real quotes, and the solar payback calculator to test ownership scenarios in your state. In states with strong net metering such as Massachusetts or Arizona, check how credits are handled under a lease, because the contract rate and utility credit rules decide who captures the value.
Leasing has also become more common. NerdWallet reports that over 80% of Sunrun’s customers have leased or used PPAs rather than buying, and analysts expected third-party ownership to take a larger share of the market in 2026 after the 25D credit ended.
📋 Key Insights
Real Customer Feedback and Common Complaints
Ratings move over time, so check live scores on Trustpilot, the Better Business Bureau and ConsumerAffairs rather than relying on a number from an article. NerdWallet’s review cited a Better Business Bureau score of 3.59 out of 5 as of late 2024, and review sites show a wide mix of experiences. For more on this topic, see our guide to Tesla Solar Panels Review 2026. For more on this topic, see our guide to Qcells Solar Panels Review 2026.
Positive reviews tend to mention the $0-down option, fast installs and helpful local crews. Negative reviews tend to describe systems that stopped producing and took a long time to repair, poor communication with customer service after installation, roof damage during installation, and savings that fell short of expectations. NerdWallet’s review lists similar themes. Treat individual reviews as anecdotes, but note which problems repeat.
The home-sale issue deserves attention. Sunrun’s seller guide says the buyer signs service transfer paperwork and completes a soft credit check, and that prepaid agreements waive the credit check. Sunrun recommends contacting its Service Transfer team before listing and disclosing the agreement early. If a buyer fails the check, you may have to buy out the system or find another buyer, so tell your agent about the lease before you list.
On financial stability, Sunrun trades on Nasdaq and reported revenue of $2.96 billion for 2025, up from $2.04 billion in 2024. Its Q2 2026 results showed revenue growth, but subscriber additions fell 31% year over year, and the company lowered its full-year guidance. For a 25-year contract, it is reasonable to read Sunrun’s filings and ask how your agreement would be handled if it were assigned to another owner.
💰 System Cost
Availability and Who Should Consider a Lease
Sunrun states that it has sold its solar service in 22 states, DC and Puerto Rico, including major markets such as California, Texas, Florida, New York, New Jersey and Arizona. Availability and product options vary by state, so confirm your address on Sunrun’s site.
A lease tends to fit homeowners who plan to stay for many years, face high or rising electricity rates, want a battery, and prefer not to manage maintenance. Sunrun reported a 74% storage attachment rate in Q2 2026, so many new customers add a battery. A lease is a weaker fit if you expect to move soon, live in a low-rate utility area, or want the lowest total cost over decades.
Before you sign, get at least three quotes, ask for the escalator in writing, ask what your total 25-year payments would be, and ask exactly how transfer, buyout and production-guarantee terms work. Our solar savings calculator lets you model different escalators and utility-rate increases for your home.
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It can be if you want solar with no upfront cost and your utility rates are high or rising. A lease costs more in total than many ownership options, but in 2026 the 25D tax credit for owners no longer exists, while Sunrun can still claim the 48E business credit on leases and PPAs and reflect it in pricing. Compare your quote's first-year payment and escalator against your current bill before signing.
Sunrun does not publish standard prices, so there is no single number. Your payment depends on system size, location, roof, battery add-ons and the escalator, which NerdWallet reports typically runs about 2.5% per year within a 0% to 3.5% range. At a hypothetical $110 starting payment, 25-year totals range from about $33,000 at 0% to about $51,400 at 3.5%.
Sunrun can transfer the agreement to the buyer. The buyer signs transfer paperwork and goes through a credit check, and Sunrun advises contacting its Service Transfer team before listing. Prepaid agreements waive the credit check. If the buyer does not qualify, you may need to buy out the system, so confirm the process with Sunrun and your agent early.
Yes, indirectly. The homeowner 25D credit ended after 2025, but leases and PPAs can still use the business 48E credit, which Sunrun claims and may pass through in pricing. Under current rules, projects must begin construction by July 2026 or be placed in service by the end of 2027. Ask Sunrun whether your quote assumes the credit.
Yes. For lease and PPA customers, Sunrun provides 25 years of monitoring, maintenance, repairs and a production guarantee, according to NerdWallet's review of its terms. Read your contract for exactly how the guarantee is measured and credited. Roof penetrations are covered by a separate 10-year workmanship warranty.
$150/month electric bill by state
System size and payback vary by electricity rate and sun hours — see your state.
18.19¢/kWh — US average residential price. Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.B (year-to-date through July 2026), residential average retail price (July 2026) (EIA)
Solar production
4.5 peak sun hours/day × 0.82 system derate. Approximate state-average daily solar resource (peak sun hours) based on NREL solar resource data (NSRDB); not location-specific — use NREL PVWatts for an address-level estimate. (NREL PVWatts)
Installed price
$3.00 per watt before incentives. Blended 2026 US residential installed price used by this site; EnergySage marketplace reported about $2.60/W (mid-2026); full-market medians are higher.
Federal tax credit
$0 for homeowner-owned systems installed in 2026 — the 30% §25D credit ended Dec 31, 2025 (IRS)
Net metering
National blend — solar assumed to offset 75% of the bill (87% in full-retail net-metering states, 55–70% elsewhere).
Estimates only — not tax, legal or financial advice. Get at least three installer quotes and confirm incentives with your utility and a tax professional.