Sunrun

Sunrun estimated the number of panels that they'd put up based on my usage. San Diego Gas & Electric is my utility provider and since I'm on net metering, they send me a little summary of my weekly use. I didn't get the solar system installed until October and then right away, we had a real rainy November and December. So, I didn't really get that much benefit out of it. I ended up paying about a $290 bill when I trued-up in November. Then this year, I started the same way so I just went ahead and paid the $200 bill. But right now, I am even and it looks like I'll probably actually get a little money back this year as opposed to a $1,000 electric bill in August. I've been very happy about that.

However, a new panel has to be approved by them. Also, initially, they had given me a 20-year warranty on the roof and 20 years on the sun panels then they said they'd give me 20 years on the solar panels but only 10 years on the roof. Once you put this thing on top, there are holes that will be created. But I think I won't have a problem because I went up one time to see and everything looks very professional.

Their customer service is somewhat okay. Sometimes, it takes them longer to get things done and sometimes they don't do what they say. They told me that if I give them new customers, they'll give $350 to me and $350 to the new customer. I gave them couple of names. They both got Sunrun, but Sunrun did not give any money to me or them. Also, the sales staff talk a little bit more than what they can deliver and they keep on changing. They have 100 emails with me. Who has got the time to read all that? Also, the documents are so complicated. If they are somewhat easier, then it will be a lot better.

Everybody should get a solar panel so we are cutting down the carbon footprint. We use green power. That's the best way to do it. In my subdivision, there are several people who are thinking about getting it. They talked to me and asked, "Are you happy? It's a year now." I told them I'm happy. My bill has gone down substantially. Last month, it was only $7. In January when there was not much sun, it was $64. That is a difference.

My only complaint is that when it was presented to me with the battery backup that I had to pick four circuits for it, I didn't pick the right ones because I wasn't aware of a couple things about how my house worked. For instance, I have a tankless water heater and it didn't occur to me to put that on as the backup. And now, I don't have hot water when there's a power outage. I talked to them but it can't be changed. That was pretty disappointing. Maybe I should have been given more time to think about it, or needed some more information. That's my biggest complaint. Also, at that time which was a year ago, the Tesla Powerwall wasn't an option. Now it is, and I'm also disappointed about that. But at the time when I did it, I thought that this would be enough capacity.

Also, I was asked at the time if I would ever add an electric car. At the time, I said no. And since then, I bought one, a Tesla, and I thought the system would be a little more nimble if I wanted to add more capacity, but apparently it's a bigger deal. I can't blame Sunrun for those because I didn't think it through well enough. But so far, I'm okay.

At the time it was installed, it was done well and quickly, that it corresponded to what I expected. They even fixed, free of charge, the roof on which the solar panels were going. Then, we had a trying experience that made it possible for me to appreciate their after-installation service much more. About two weeks after the installation was operational, the house got hit by a thunderstorm and it caused several damages to the house. I was lucky there was no fire, but we discovered that four out of the 14 panels had been burnt by the strike. They were the ones that noticed it because they constantly monitor my output to make sure the installation is working well which is something very unusual. They alerted me that I was not producing what was expected and they sent a crew who identified the issue, ordered new panels, and came later on to replace those panels. They were really, really beyond the call of duty.

Also, now that I have used my financial credit, I pay the connection fee to Vermont Electric, but I am not paying any kilowatts because I am manufacturing enough and I get a credit that can be used in bad months this winter. Financially speaking, it is a real benefit. And I noticed with such amusement that since I had my solar panel installed, two other houses in my neighborhood decided it was the right thing to do. It is kind of satisfying.

All in all, everything was a smooth process and it wasn’t a pressure situation. Everything worked according to clockwork. In the long term, it’s going to be a great benefit to me as far as the savings are concerned. From where I live, my energy bill is high in the summertime and I was able to see savings on my electricity bill. Plus, the energy is green.

Our electrical usage is not obscene. Most lighting in the house is LED, thermostat set at 80 deg in the summer. We have contacted Sunrun to see if there is anything that can be done to modify the contract, and the response has been poor at best. We did receive some communication initially. They requested true up bills in order to perform an analysis, and said they would see if they can adjust the contract. This was in September 2020, and we have yet to receive anything back. Have called and emailed the person assigned to our case, and she has not responded at all.

Contacted the general customer service line, and they directed us to the case worker. We stated that she has not responded to repeated calls/emails. They stated to try her again. Now we have received an email from general customer service that she has not contacted us because the case is closed. I do not understand how the case can be closed when nothing was done! I would not recommend Sunrun to anyone at this point. They know they have us locked into a bad contract and they do not need to respond.

I had another rep. from Sunrun come to my house and 'offer' to make my system right by having a second expanded system added to my roof. They would not combine the systems, so it meant another inverter, meter and wiring running on the side of my home, not the greatest. Meanwhile, the 'new' system would be a fixed rate that is MUCH lower than my current rate (lower than SCE Tier 1). I understand that I have signed a contract and that the terms (no matter how shady and hidden they were) were in there somewhere. I was completely willing to add to my system, sign a new contract, and be a life long Sunrun customer....all I asked is for them to fix the current systems per KwH rate. I spoke to salespeople, customer service both on phone and in email.

They completed a cost savings analysis that ultimately showed a breakeven at the current rate (though there is still 10 more years of increases to come). I thought any company in their right mind would be willing to make the whole system right for maintaining good customer rapport. They were not. I got an extremely curt email from Angel **, basically saying 'you signed it, so deal with it' so I did. Here's where it gets tricky, my system all of a sudden 'went down' for the past 2 months. When I analyze my usage of all power directly coming from SCE versus the same time last year over these two months. I find that somehow the amount I am consuming from SCE has hardly changed. I'm not selling anything back, because I have no system production.

Because I have no production, I am not paying anything to Sunrun and my overall electrical cost has been cut in half! There is literally no way any rep. or anyone else could explain this away. Basically, it seems like I pay Sunrun for all my production and yet still pay SCE for all my consumption. I have crunched these numbers 50 different ways and tried to look at them to come to another conclusion, but there is no way to do that. If anyone from Sunrun would like to sit down with me and work on a solution that truly represents exceeding customer expectation, I would be more than happy to. If not, I just have a sneaky suspicion that my system will never work right again.