Frequently Asked Questions

There are a couple of factors that go into whether or not solar is a good fit for your home energy needs. First, we like to take a look at whether your home has a good south-facing roof, because that will get you the most sun exposure. The quality of your roof is also important: we take a look at structural integrity and the material it’s made out of, because these can affect the installation process. We take a look at shading on your roof to ensure that your panels will be able to reach optimal production, as shade can reduce production. Finally, we want to ensure that going solar makes sense for your budget. Check if your home is right for solar.

2. How much sun do I need for solar?

Sun matters, but maybe not in the way you’d think. It doesn’t matter too much where you live in the country, whether it’s the Northeast or Southwest. What matters more is your roof, or property. The best roofs for solar are free of shade, and oriented towards the south, east or west for maximum sun exposure.

3. How much roof space do I need?

On average, for every kilowatt (kW) installed, a home solar system takes up about 100 square feet. Most residential solar systems are between 3 and 6 kW, so an average solar system takes between 300 and 600 square feet.

4. What type of roof is best?

The perfect roof for solar could be described as made of composite and not too steep, with unobstructed space for the solar panels. That said, solar works on many kinds of roofs, with the exceptions of slate and clay tile roofs. Wood shake roofs, flat roofs, and concrete tiles are a little more difficult to install on, so could make an installation more expensive. Check if your roof works with solar.

5. Should I consider a ground mounted solar system?

If your roof isn’t optimal for solar and you have space on your property that can accomodate solar panels, you might choose a ground mounted solar system. People commonly usually choose ground mounted systems if the roof doesn’t work, but some prefer ground mounted systems.

6. Will solar work if my roof isn’t new?

We highly recommend you take care of any needed roof replacement or repairs before you get solar. Your home solar system will last for twenty years plus, so you need to have twenty good years left on your roof if you sign up with Sunrun. In general, we recommend that your roof be less than fifteen years old when you sign the agreement.You can do a roof replacement or repairs once you have solar, but it can be time consuming, and your solar company won’t cover all the expenses involved. However, we will help you coordinate the removal and re-installation of the solar panels.

7. Can my homeowners association (HOA) stop me from installing a home solar power system on my home?

Usually not. An HOA may try, but in many states this is not allowed. In California specifically, the California Solar Rights Act says that homeowners associations (HOAs), governments, and other organizations can't stop you from installing a home solar power system. Similar rights exist in other states, including Oregon, Maryland, Arizona, Colorado, New Jersey, Hawaii and Massachusetts However, HOAs may ask you to modify the design and/or location for aesthetic reasons as long as the changes don't significantly impact solar electricity production (a decrease greater than 10%) or cost more than $2,000.

8. How do I get power at night with home solar? (click to see video)

During the night when the sun isn't out, your system is not producing any electricity. But a process called net metering makes it work. In the morning, your system is producing a little bit of electricity. It's probably enough electricity use when you turn on the hair dryer or make toast for breakfast. You use it as you produce it. This is also what happens when it’s snowing out. Your system is still going to be producing a little bit of electricity and it's really just enough for you to use.During the day, when the sun is at the highest point in the sky, your system is producing a lot of electricity. You're probably not using all the electricity that's being produced. The additional electricity your system produces flows back into the grid and runs your meter backwards.At night, when your system is not producing any electricity, the credit you generated during the day carries over, and you take electricity back from the grid.

9. How long will a home solar power system last?

Most home solar power systems are predicted to last between 25 and 35 years. Sunrun’s agreements last for 20 years.What kind of maintenance is needed for a home solar power system?Most home solar power systems are fairly simple and have no moving parts. They don't typically have mechanical problems, but there's regular maintenance that is recommended. Additionally, the inverter will need to be replaced in about ten years. Sunrun takes care of this maintenance, including inverter replacement, for all its customers.

10. How frequently should I clean my panels?

With home solar, the solar power your panels produce will naturally vary depending mostly on the season and number of daylight hours. Most dust and debris that gets on your panels won't significantly impact solar production, and average wind and rainfall will keep your solar panels producing at near optimum.In certain situations, dust and debris can decrease your solar production by 5% to 15%, but this would most likely occur in special situations, such as a forest fire near your home. It's best to clean your panels only if you notice a significant drop in electricity production.

11. What happens when it rains, snows, sleets or hails?

It doesn’t have to be completely sunny for your panels to produce electricity. In bad weather, your panel production won’t be 100%, but your panels will still be producing power. On a cloudy day, your panels might produce 30% of what they normally would.The exception is a snowstorm. If it snows enough for there to be a signficant accumulation on your panels, your panels will not produce electricity. However, snow slides easily off of panels, and your panels tend to be located where your roof gets the most sun, so the snow on your panels will melt first, and your panels will resume producing electricity. If you live in an area that gets snow in the winter, snow days are likely, snow days will be factored into your system’s projected production.Solar panels can handle some pretty tough weather. Sunrun homes made it through the recent Hurricane Irene with minimal damage. Most solar panels are guaranteed to withstand 3/4 inch hail balls at 120 miles per hour, and they are also built to withstand direct lightning strikes. Of course if nature deos damage your panels, Sunrun will fix them for free.

12. How does Sunrun work? (click to see video)

Right now, you receive all of your electricity from your utility. Each month, your utility charges your for that electricity in the form of a monthly bill. When your utility decides to raise their electricity rates, you have no choice but to pay more money. With Sunrun, a portion of your electricity comes from a solar system that is located on your roof. The rate that Sunrun charges is controlled by you, so that when your utility decides to raise its rates, you're protected.

13. How much money will I save with Sunrun? (click to see video)

Your savings from Sunrun come from paying less for solar electricity than you would be paying for dirty electricity from your utility. In the beginning, the rate that Sunrun charges you is roughly equivalent to the rate you pay your utility, so your savings will be modest. However, the rate that Sunrun charges is either fixed or rises very gradually. When you factor in rate increase from your utility that you won't be paying, the amount of money that you can save with Sunrun over the life of your agreement amounts to tens of thousands of dollars. Find out how much you'll save with solar.

14. How much does Sunrun cost? (click to see video)

Sunrun charges you for the electricity your solar system generates and not the equipment. So, in most cases it only costs $1,000 or less to install a Sunrun system. The rate that you pay for that electricity is going to be equal to or less than what your current utility rate looks like. So, you're really going to see a long term savings as utility rates continue to increase. Of course the specifics depend on where you live and your current utility. So, if you want to find out how much you can save with Sunrun, give us a call and we'll provide you with a custom quote. Get a free quote.

15. What happens after I sign up with Sunrun? (click to see video)

First, you'll get a welcome call from Sunrun along with a packet of helpful information and that will give you the chance to ask any questions you may have about the solar installation process.Second, you'll get a call from your installer. They will set up a time that’s convenient for your installation. Your installation will take anywhere from 2-5 days. After that you may have to wait upwards of 2-3 weeks in certain parts of the country for your utility to give you permission to turn on your system. That delay generally happens because there's extraordinary demand in certain parts of the country. Lastly, you'll be able to turn on your system and start enjoying clean solar power. Along the way we'll do our way to best expedite the process and answer any questions you have.

16. Will my home be connected to the grid? (click to see video)

All Sunrun homes are grid tied, so you do stay connected to the grid. The only way to be off the grid is to get a battery back-up. But typically a battery back-up costs a lot of money and there's also a lot of maintenance involved as well.The benefit to staying connected to the grid is to take advantage of a process called net metering. When your solar system produces electricity that you don’t use right away it’s sent back to the grid, and you get a positive credit.Think of the grid as a bank where you're storing these credits, so at night time when your system isn't producing electricity and you need to turn on the lights, your TV, or any other electrical device you are simply pulling out these credits from that grid.

17. How will I pay for electricity after I switch to Sunrun? (click to see video)

Currently, you receive an electric bill from your utility each month. After you go solar with Sunrun, you will still receive an electricity bill from your utility, but it will be much smaller. You will pay Sunrun for the clean solar energy generated right from your roof. So you have the peace of mind of knowing that a large portion of your electricity bill is going towards clean, renewable energy.

18. How does Sunrun support its customers? (click to see video)

We start even before you're a customer by providing educational resources, such as white papers, blog posts, webinars, and videos. We are constantly creating content to help you understand the process of going solar and what it entails.Once you understand the process and are excited about going solar and give us a call, we will talk to you about Sunrun and whether it's a good fit for your home. We discuss your electricity usage patterns, shading, and many other things that determine what type of solar system is a good fit and whether Sunrun is a good fit for you.Once we determine that it is, we then provide the financing. This means, that you don't have to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a home solar system. We then, work with the best local installers to provides you with service that gets you up and running as quickly as possible; there is no need to climb up on your roof!Once you are up and running, we provide on-going service and monitoring. We monitor more systems than any other company in the country. And we're watching over your system for the lifetime of your agreement. Should you have any questions, we have a customer care team standing by, waiting to help you out.

19. What if I sell my home? (click to see video)

You might not end up living in your home for the next twenty years. Sunrun agreements are set up so that it’s easy to switch your contract to a new homeowner.Most Sunrun homeowners who move choose to transfer the agreement to the new homeowner. In this case, the new homeowner will take over the Sunrun agreement and pay the same low rate for solar power. In most cases, new buyers see lower electricity rates, system maintenance, and monitoring as advantages, and it can help you get a higher selling price for your home.You may also choose to purchase the solar equipment from Sunrun and sell it with your home.What we've learned is that solar enhances the value of your home. In fact, home sellers and realtors have confirmed that with us. So during the transition, Sunrun will continue to own the solar system, and we'll work really closely with the home buyer to transfer the Sunrun agreement over to them. It's a fairly straight-forward process and we'll be with you every step of the way.

20. What will be my relationship with my utility company if I sign up with Sunrun?

You’ll stay connected to the utility grid and keep your current local utility company. On days when your home solar system produces more electricity than your home is using, your utility will automatically credit your account. At night, and on days when your home uses more electricity than your system is producing, you’ll use up those credits and draw electricity from the grid. This is called net metering, and it happens in the background automatically while you continue to use all of your electrical appliances as you always have.You’ll still have a bill from your utility, but it will be much smaller.

21. Can I add more solar panels to my system later?

Adding solar panels is possible but can be complicated. Inverters and solar panels are designed to fit together like puzzle pieces. Because there's an ideal number of solar panels that should be hooked up to a specific inverter, a whole mini system - solar panels and inverter - would most likely need to be added if you want to add panels. It’s better to size your system correctly the first time, which is why your solar installer will make sure they understand your current usage and any reasons that might change.

22. If the power goes out, will my home solar power system keep producing electricity?

No. For safety reasons, your home solar power system will automatically shut off if the power goes out. This is to protect utility workers who might be working on power lines in an outage from being exposed to live electricity.

23. What happens at the end of my Sunrun home solar customer agreement?

Your Sunrun home solar financing agreement lasts 20 years. At the end of the agreement, we will make it easy for you to continue with solar, or opt to take it off. You can: Purchase the solar equipment. Your solar system should produce electricity for 25 years or more.Renew the agreement and continue purchasing solar power from Sunrun at a rate lower than you would pay to your utility. Or, upgrade to a new system and agreement.Remove the home solar system at no cost to you.

24. Who installs my solar power system when I choose to go solar with Sunrun?

Sunrun selects the best solar panel installers in each local market to do all our system installations. Our solar panel installers have local knowledge and extensive experience, and we maintain a high bar for quality control so that you can be assured your installation will be managed smoothly.

25. Where is Sunrun available?

Sunrun home solar financing is currently available in Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Pennsylvania. Learn about solar where you live.

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