SunPower vs. Sunrun —two giants on the forefront of the U.S. photo voltaic {industry}.
Each are recognized for his or her high quality photo voltaic panels, battery programs, and different solar-related choices.
However who’re? Which firm has the superior merchandise? And above all, which of those photo voltaic suppliers are best for you?
This text will assist familiarize you with every of the above firms by answering these questions and extra!
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SunPower Vs. Sunrun
Getting To Know SunPower
SunPower was first established in 1985 by Richard Swanson, {an electrical} engineering professor from Stanford, and has been headquartered in Silicon Valley ever since.
The corporate offers green-tech vitality options to customers by promoting, putting in, and financing solar energy merchandise comparable to panels, batteries, monitoring software program, and mounting {hardware}.
Some extent of delight for this photo voltaic big is the truth that they’re the one U.S-based firm that’s been round longer than its 25-year guarantee.
Break up
In August 2020, the SunPower Company made the choice to separate into two separate public firms:
- SunPower: chargeable for supplying all solar-related companies to clients.
- Maxeon Photo voltaic: the corporate chargeable for producing the high-efficiency photo voltaic panels that SunPower is thought for
Maxeon Photo voltaic relies in Singapore, with factories in France, Malaysia, Mexico, and the Philippines. The corporate strategically selected these places to assist them benefit from low-cost manufacturing processes all through Asia.
Now don’t let the thought of “low-cost manufacturing” put you off. Whereas the break up and alter in places have introduced their manufacturing prices down, the standard stays the identical.
For the reason that break up, Maxeon has supplied SunPower with high quality merchandise such because the Maxeon 6 AC Photo voltaic Panel — boasting an effectivity ranking of twenty-two.8%.
Briefly, the strategic resolution to divide the corporate into two elements has paid off for each them and their customers.
Getting To Know Sunrun
Sunrun was first established in 2007 by founders Lynn Jurich, Nat Kreamer, and Ed Fenster.
The corporate engages within the design, improvement, set up, sale, possession, and upkeep of residential photo voltaic vitality programs all through the USA.
They provide these photo voltaic companies each on to their clients and thru their companions, together with set up, gross sales, and strategic companions (retail companions included).
Photo voltaic Service Pioneers
A major distinction between Sunrun and different photo voltaic firms (SunPower included) is their photo voltaic service mannequin. Proper from its inception, Sunrun pioneered this mannequin to create a low-cost answer for patrons in search of to decrease their vitality payments.
So, what is that this photo voltaic service mannequin?
The core service providing comes within the type of Sunrun’s lease and energy buy agreements — the corporate refers to those agreements as “Buyer Agreements.”
How It Works
Whereas SunRun permits clients comparable to your self to buy one among their photo voltaic programs, 80% – 90% of their enterprise comes from “photo voltaic as a service.”
Primarily, a buyer will enter into an settlement with Sunrun, which permits the corporate to lease out and set up a photo voltaic system on your house — usually over a 20 to 25-year interval.
Sunrun offers day by day system monitoring, free upkeep, repairs, and complete insurance coverage all through this era. In alternate, they obtain a gentle money circulate from a high-quality buyer with good credit score. In the end, this enables the corporate to qualify for tax (and different) advantages.
What’s In It For The House owner?
By coming into right into a lease settlement with Sunrun, you’ll be able to purchase a photo voltaic system for little to no cash upfront. As an alternative, you pay a month-to-month price. When this price is lower than the native utility’s electrical energy charges, you lower your expenses.
However bear in mind, Sunrun does nonetheless promote photo voltaic programs. As such, you’ll be able to select from a number of versatile photo voltaic financing choices or pay outright.
What’s extra, you’ll be able to select to buy a leased photo voltaic system after the contract interval is up.
Which Firm Produces Higher High quality?
Naturally, when selecting between photo voltaic firms, it is smart to go together with the one that gives higher high quality panels.
SunPower
On this case, you understand what you’re getting with SunPower — top-quality merchandise just like the Maxeon 6 AC Photo voltaic Panel.
Collectively, SunPower and Maxeon have developed an extremely robust following as a result of high quality of their choices. What’s extra, you understand (even earlier than you buy) the place your photo voltaic panels are coming from and who’s manufacturing them.
Guarantee
High quality-wise, SunPower stands confidently behind its merchandise, providing 25-year industry-leading warranties that cowl its programs comprehensively.
The guarantee covers repairs, repairs, labor, and transport at no additional price.
Sunrun
Sunrun doesn’t manufacture its personal merchandise. As an alternative, the corporate makes use of a number of suppliers for his or her gear, although they do have a partnership with LG.
Right here’s the problem: you gained’t know which panels you’ll be supplied with till going by means of the buying course of.
With this in thoughts, it’s tough for us to offer you a concrete reply as to the general high quality of their panels.
Guarantee
Sunrun offers a 10-year workmanship guarantee in opposition to injury to your roof or any set up issues.
Verdict
On this side of the SunPower vs. Sunrun debate, SunPower takes the cake. Their complete, 25-year guarantee and the truth that their panels are a recognized entity make it an absolute no-brainer!
SunPower Vs. Sunrun: Which Firm Is Cheaper?
Value Of Residential Photo voltaic In The U.S.
The 2021 NREL white paper report places the median price of residential photo voltaic at $2.75 per watt (2020).
Supply: 2021 NREL white paper
Nevertheless, EcoWatch offers an up to date 2022 worth of $2.66 per watt.
For argument’s sake, we’ll use the extra update-to-date worth.
SunPower
In accordance with the NREL’s white paper report, SunPower’s residential photo voltaic panels price round $4.15 per watt.
Taking this determine into consideration, a 5kW photo voltaic panel system in the USA will price you round:
$4.15 per watt * 5,000 watts = $20,750
Supply: Supply: 2021 NREL white paper
Sunrun
Sunrun’s photo voltaic panels have a tendency to come back in at a dearer $4.91 per watt.
Taking a look at these figures, a 5kW photo voltaic panel system in the USA will price you round:
$4.91 per watt * 5,000 watts = $24,550
Please Word: the above values don’t think about system effectivity. Whereas we’d prefer to account for effectivity to present you extra correct estimates, it merely isn’t doable resulting from Sunrun sourcing its merchandise from a number of third-party suppliers.
Verdict
Each SunPower ($4.15) and Sunrun’s ($4.91) prices per watt are properly over the $2.66 common.
However once more, it’s clear that the second spherical of the SunPower vs. Sunrun duel goes to SunPower, with the previous having a barely cheaper price per watt common.
Which Firm is Proper For You?
This a part of the SunPower vs. Sunrun debate comes right down to your wants.
Should you’re seeking to buy a photo voltaic system outright, we extremely suggest SunPower. There’s a purpose they’ve turn out to be a juggernaut within the photo voltaic {industry} — their service and merchandise are properly famend and of top quality.
Nevertheless, in case you don’t wish to commit to buying a system and would as an alternative want to lease one, then Sunrun is a stable wager.
Sure, we all know that SunPower leases out their programs too, however Sunrun has been on the forefront of photo voltaic leasing agreements for a very long time. In spite of everything, they did pioneer the mannequin.
Evaluations
Evaluations exist for a purpose. Positive, inherent bias does exist, however it’d be foolish to disregard the worth of opinions completely.
Listed here are some hyperlinks to every firm’s opinions on Shopper Affairs and Finest Firm with the above in thoughts.
SunPower
Sunrun
Closing Ideas
There you’ve got it, the SunPower vs. Sunrun debate!
By now, we’re assured that you’ve got a significantly better concept of every firm and what they entail. However bear in mind, extra analysis can solely profit you. So earlier than you decide to something, make sure to examine as a lot as doable.
In closing, we hope you’ve discovered this useful resource to be of use. Ought to you’ve got any additional questions or insights into this (or every other matter), we encourage you to be a part of our budding group!
