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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 they? Which firm has superior merchandise? And above all, which of those photo voltaic suppliers is best for you?
This text will assist familiarize you with every of the above firms by answering these questions and extra.
Climatebiz consultants design, analysis, fact-check & edit all work meticulously.
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SunPower Vs. Sunrun: Breakdown
SunPower vs. SunRun: SunPower overview
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 power options to shoppers by promoting, putting in, and financing solar energy merchandise similar to panels, batteries, monitoring software program, and mounting {hardware}.
Some extent of satisfaction for this photo voltaic large 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, SunPower Company made the choice to separate into two separate public firms:
- SunPower: Liable for supplying all solar-related companies to clients.
- Maxeon Photo voltaic: Liable for producing SunPower’s high-efficiency photo voltaic panels.
Maxeon Photo voltaic is predicated in Singapore, with factories in France, Malaysia, Mexico, and the Philippines. The corporate strategically selected these places to assist them reap the benefits of low-cost manufacturing processes all through Asia.
Now don’t let the concept of “low-cost manufacturing” put you off. Whereas the break up and site change has decreased manufacturing prices, the standard stays unchanged.
For the reason that break up, Maxeon has supplied SunPower with high quality merchandise such because the Maxeon 6 AC Photo voltaic Panel, which boasts an effectivity score of twenty-two.8%.
In brief, the strategic resolution to divide the corporate into two components has paid off for each the corporate and its shoppers.
Are you struggling to dimension your photo voltaic system? Our in-house consultants have created a photo voltaic calculator to assist make issues simpler for you!
SunPower vs. Sunrun: Sunrun overview
Sunrun was first established in 2007 by founders Lynn Jurich, Nat Kreamer, and Ed Fenster.
The corporate engages within the design, growth, set up, sale, possession, and upkeep of residential photo voltaic power programs all through the U.S.
Sunrun presents these photo voltaic companies each on to its clients and thru its 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 its photo voltaic service mannequin. Proper from its inception, Sunrun pioneered this mannequin to create a low-cost answer for purchasers searching for to decrease their power 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 similar to your self to buy one in every of its photo voltaic programs, 80% to 90% of its enterprise comes from “photo voltaic as a service.”
Primarily, you’ll enter into an settlement with Sunrun, which permits the corporate to lease out and set up a photo voltaic system on your private home — usually over a 20 to 25-year interval.
Sunrun offers each day system monitoring, free upkeep, repairs, and complete insurance coverage all through this era. In trade, it receives a gentle money circulate from a high-quality buyer with good credit score. Finally, this enables the corporate to qualify for tax (and different) advantages.
In case you’re fascinated with Sunrun’s leasing choices, click on right here.
What’s in it for the house owner?
By coming into right into a lease settlement with Sunrun, you possibly can purchase a photo voltaic system for little to no cash upfront. As an alternative, you pay a month-to-month price. You get monetary savings when this price is lower than the native utility’s electrical energy charges.
However bear in mind, Sunrun nonetheless sells photo voltaic programs. As such, you possibly can select from a number of versatile photo voltaic financing choices or pay outright.
Furthermore, you should purchase a leased photo voltaic system after the contract interval is up.
SunPower vs. Sunrun: Which firm produces higher high quality?
As a potential photo voltaic panel proprietor, it’s solely pure so that you can gravitate towards an organization with superior photo voltaic panels. Let’s take a better take a look at what every firm has to supply.
Which firm has superior photo voltaic panels?
SunPower
Proper off the bat, SunPower has the benefit. You already know who produces its photo voltaic panels (Maxeon) and the place they’re manufactured.
Listed here are some examples of what SunPower has to supply:
| Specs | SPR-P6-395-BLK | SPR-P6-400-BLK | SPR-MAX3-410-BLK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wattage | 395W | 400W | 410W |
| Effectivity | 20.1% | 22.6% | 21.6% |
| Product and Energy Guarantee | 25 years | 40 years | 40 years |
| Assured Output % At 25-Yr Mark | 86% | 92% | 92% |
High quality-wise, SunPower stands confidently behind its merchandise. The corporate presents a complete 25-year guarantee overlaying its Efficiency Collection choices. Moreover, it presents an industry-leading 40-year guarantee on its Maxeon panels.
Sunrun
Sunrun doesn’t manufacture its personal merchandise. Whereas the corporate did have a partnership with LG, the South Korean tech large has since determined to cease manufacturing photo voltaic merchandise. As an alternative, the corporate makes use of a number of gear suppliers.
Right here’s the problem — you gained’t know which panels you’ll be supplied with till you enter into the buying course of. With this in thoughts, it’s tough for us to give you a concrete reply as to the general high quality of its panels.
Lastly, as a result of Sunrun doesn’t manufacture its photo voltaic panels, those that buy its photo voltaic arrays should depend on producer warranties. Nonetheless, the corporate offers a 10-year workmanship guarantee towards harm to your roof or set up issues.
Which firm has superior power storage?
SunPower
SunPower presents its SunVault storage. This power storage answer (ESS) is a seamless backup energy possibility throughout energy outages. Nonetheless, it’s additionally appropriate for common use.
You possibly can simply combine these models into current SunPower photo voltaic programs. On the draw back, SunVault programs are incompatible with third-party photo voltaic gear.
Sunrun
Sunrun doesn’t manufacture its personal ESS answer. As an alternative, it presents the Tesla Powerwall.
The Tesla Powerwall is a house battery system that shops power generated from photo voltaic panels or the grid. Furthermore, it might present backup energy throughout energy outages.
The Powerwall is designed to be easy and simple to put in, whether or not on the bottom or wall-mounted. What’s extra, it’s scalable, so you possibly can set up a number of models collectively to extend your complete storage capability.
However right here’s one of the best half — you possibly can combine it into an current photo voltaic system or use it as a standalone backup energy supply.
Now let’s check out these firms’ respective power storage choices:
| Specs | Powerwall+ | SunVault |
|---|---|---|
| Usable capability | 13.5 kWh | 13 to 26 kWh |
| Steady energy score | 5.0 kW | 6.8 kW |
| Depth of Discharge (DoD) | 100% | 100% |
| Spherical-trip effectivity | 90% | 85% |
| Guarantee | 10 years (limitless cycles) | 10 years (limitless cycles) |
| Finish of guarantee capability | 70% | 70% |
What’s the decision?
Photo voltaic panel-wise, SunPower takes the cake. The corporate’s complete 25 and 40-year warranties and the truth that its panels are recognized entities make it an absolute no-brainer.
power storage, the winner shouldn’t be so clear. Sunrun presents the Tesla Powerwall, which edges out SunPower’s SunVault by way of round-trip effectivity, though its steady energy score shouldn’t be as excessive.
Nonetheless, the SunVault shouldn’t be appropriate with third-party photo voltaic programs. Subsequently, we give the benefit to Sunrun.
In want of some photo voltaic blueprints? Click on right here.
SunPower Vs. Sunrun: Which firm is cheaper?
Worth of residential photo voltaic within the U.S.
To get a greater sense of the place every firm stands price-wise, it’s necessary to know the worth of residential photo voltaic.
As per the above graph from the NREL’s newest photo voltaic {industry} replace, the median gross worth of residential photo voltaic in H1 2022 is $2.77 per watt.
SunPower
Based on the NREL, SunPower’s residential photo voltaic panels value round $3.92 per watt. Taking this determine into consideration, a 5kW photo voltaic panel system in the US will value you round:
$3.92 per watt x 5,000 = $19,600
Supply: 2022 NREL white paper
Sunrun
Sunrun’s photo voltaic panels have a tendency to return in at a dearer $5.39 per watt. Subsequently, a 5kW photo voltaic panel system in the US will value you round:
$5.39 per watt x 5,000 = $26,950
Be aware to our readers: the above values don’t think about system effectivity. Whereas we’d wish to account for effectivity to provide you extra correct estimates, it merely isn’t doable as a consequence of Sunrun sourcing its merchandise from a number of third-party suppliers.
What’s the decision?
Each SunPower’s ($3.92) and Sunrun’s ($5.39) prices per watt are effectively over the $2.77 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 considerably cheaper cost-per-watt common.
Which Firm is Proper For You?
This a part of the SunPower vs. Sunrun debate comes all the way down to your wants.
If you wish to buy a photo voltaic system outright, then SunPower is the go-to possibility. There’s a purpose the corporate has develop into a juggernaut within the photo voltaic {industry} — its service and merchandise are effectively famend and of top of the range.
Nonetheless, when you don’t need to commit to buying a system and would like to lease one, 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 any case, they did pioneer the mannequin.
Evaluations
Evaluations exist for a purpose. Positive, inherent bias does play a job, nevertheless it’d be foolish to disregard the worth of evaluations solely.
With the above in thoughts, listed here are some hyperlinks to every firm’s evaluations on Client Affairs and Greatest Firm.
SunPower
Sunrun
Associated Studying: SunPower vs. Tesla (Which model must you select?)
FAQs
How do SunPower and Sunrun strategy customer support and assist?
Whereas the article doesn’t particularly point out the customer support particulars of SunPower and Sunrun, typically, respected photo voltaic firms prioritize buyer assist, providing numerous channels like cellphone, e-mail, and chat assist to help with inquiries, points, or issues.
Potential clients are suggested to learn evaluations and maybe contact every firm on to gauge the extent of customer support supplied.
Can I combine Sunrun photo voltaic programs with third-party power storage options?
The article doesn’t specify, however usually, photo voltaic firms like Sunrun would possibly permit integration with numerous third-party power storage options, provided that compatibility and technical specs are met.
It might be greatest to contact Sunrun instantly for exact info on integrations.
How environmentally pleasant are the manufacturing processes of SunPower and Sunrun?
The article doesn’t present particular particulars on the environmental affect of the manufacturing processes of SunPower and Sunrun.
For correct and detailed info on the sustainability and environmental practices of each firms, it might be greatest to discuss with official studies or attain out to the businesses instantly.
How do the set up processes of SunPower and Sunrun examine?
Specifics on the set up processes of SunPower and Sunrun should not coated within the article. Usually, the set up course of entails an preliminary evaluation, system design, allowing, set up, and last inspections.
Potential clients ought to contact every firm instantly to know their respective set up processes, timelines, and any further companies provided.
What financing choices can be found for SunPower photo voltaic programs moreover buying outright?
The article primarily discusses buying choices however doesn’t delve into particular particulars relating to SunPower’s different financing choices.
Usually, photo voltaic suppliers supply numerous financing options together with leases, loans, and Energy Buy Agreements (PPAs). For detailed and customised financing choices, it’s endorsed to seek the advice of with SunPower instantly.
Are there any efficiency ensures supplied by Sunrun given the variability in photo voltaic panel producers?
The article doesn’t present particular particulars about efficiency ensures by Sunrun. Often, firms supply efficiency ensures to make sure that the photo voltaic programs function at a sure effectivity stage.
Potential clients ought to inquire instantly with Sunrun to acquire exact info relating to efficiency ensures, particularly contemplating the variability in photo voltaic panel producers.
Last ideas
By now, we’re assured that you’ve a a lot better concept of every firm and what they entail. However bear in mind, further analysis can solely profit you. So earlier than you decide to something, make sure you examine as a lot as doable.
In closing, we hope you’ve discovered this useful resource to be of use. Ought to you’ve any additional questions or insights into this (or another subject), we encourage you to observe us on Twitter or attain out to us within the feedback part beneath.
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