Tesla Solar vs SunPower: How the Two Compare After Big Changes at Both Companies

Tesla Solar vs SunPower looks very different in 2026 than it did a few years ago. Tesla sells online, uses its own crews or Certified Installers depending on your address, and bundles its own panels with Powerwall 3, while today's SunPower is SunPower Inc. (formerly Complete Solaria), which sells mainly through Blue Raven Solar with Enphase batteries, a 10-year workmanship warranty and a stated production guarantee. The old SunPower Corporation went bankrupt in 2024, and the new company did not take over its customers' systems.

Facts below were checked against company pages and recent reporting in November 2026.

Key takeaways

• Tesla's design tool gives an instant online quote; Electrek reported a base cash price of about $2.30 per watt before incentives in August 2026.
• SunPower Inc. offers two years of service coverage, a 10-year workmanship warranty and manufacturer warranties of up to 25 years.
• SunPower's production guarantee triggers if output falls below 50% for three months or below 85% for 18 months.
• Tesla says it makes no performance guarantees on purchased systems beyond the panel warranty.
• The federal 25D credit is not available for expenditures made after December 31, 2025, which for solar means installations completed after that date.

How Tesla Solar sells and installs

Tesla now sells solar two ways. Electrek reported in August 2026 that Tesla installs systems itself in its "direct service territories" and uses third-party Tesla Certified Installers everywhere else, a shift that began in September 2024 when it started recruiting installers as it wound down in-house crews. Certified Installers buy Tesla hardware and handle design, pricing, installation and service. Tesla no longer publishes a list of the states where it installs directly; you find out by entering your address in its online design tool, which takes a $100 refundable deposit to start an order.

A few other 2026 changes matter. Tesla discontinued Solar Roof in August 2026. In January 2026 it launched a US-made 420-watt panel assembled in Buffalo, New York. And its design tool now defaults to a bundle of solar panels plus Powerwall 3, which combines the home battery and solar inverter in one unit, although solar-only systems are still available.

What today's SunPower is

EnergySage's April 2026 update lays out the timeline. SunPower Corporation filed for Chapter 11 on August 5, 2024. On September 30, 2024, Complete Solaria bought its Blue Raven Solar business, New Homes division and dealer network for $45 million. Complete Solaria rebranded as SunPower in April 2025, changed its legal name to SunPower Inc. in October 2025, and acquired Sunder Energy in September 2025, growing its installation footprint from 22 to 45 states.

EnergySage notes that SunPower Inc. operates primarily through Blue Raven Solar and reported its first profitable quarter in four years in the first quarter of 2025. SunPower Inc.'s website lists an address in Orem, Utah, and advertises residential solar, Enphase 10C and 5P batteries, and a 25-year manufacturer warranty. If you own an older SunPower system, see our solar orphans help page.

Tesla Solar vs SunPower at a glance

Feature	Tesla Solar	SunPower Inc.
How you buy	Online design tool; $100 refundable deposit	Through SunPower and Blue Raven Solar sales
Installer	Tesla crews or Tesla Certified Installers	SunPower / Blue Raven crews
Battery	Powerwall 3 (battery plus inverter)	Enphase 10C and 5P
Financing	Cash, solar and Powerwall loans, lease in direct territories	Undated site guide describes loans, leases and PPAs; confirm in your quote
Panel warranty	80% of nameplate power at 25 years; Tesla does claim labor	Manufacturer warranties up to 25 years
Workmanship	Not stated on Tesla's warranty page	10 years, including roof penetrations
Production guarantee	None stated beyond the panel warranty on purchased systems	Yes, with stated triggers

Financing options

Tesla: Electrek's August 2026 review of Tesla's configurator found solar loans at about 7.24%, Powerwall loans at about 6.99%, and a 25-year solar lease with a 3% annual escalator and a buyout after five years. The lease is offered only in Tesla's direct service territories.

SunPower: A financing guide on SunPower's site describes loans, leases and PPAs, but the page is not dated and does not say whether it predates the 2024 bankruptcy. Ask what is actually offered at your address and request both a cash price and a financed price. Tesla's own cost guide says most installers work with third-party financing companies and that dealer fees can be passed on to customers as extra costs.

Warranties and guarantees compared

Tesla

• Panels on purchased systems are guaranteed to at least 80% of nameplate power for at least 25 years; Tesla processes claims and does related labor at its cost.
• Powerwall 3 has a 10-year warranty with 70% capacity retention at ten years and unlimited cycles for self-consumption, time-based control and backup.
• Tesla says it makes no performance guarantees outside the warranty period.

SunPower Inc.

• Two years of service support after installation, including eligible repairs at no cost
• A 10-year workmanship warranty covering installation quality, roof penetrations and design issues
• A production guarantee: below 50% of projected output for three consecutive months, or below 85% for 18 consecutive months, and SunPower adds panels or compensates you
• Panel and microinverter warranties of up to 25 years from manufacturers; after two years you pay any manufacturer claim fees

Our guide to product vs performance warranties explains what each type covers.

If you are a legacy SunPower customer

If your SunPower system was installed before SunPower Inc.'s September 30, 2024 acquisition, SunPower Inc. generally is not responsible for it (it says warranties in Blue Raven Solar and Complete Solar agreements remain valid). SunPower says lease and PPA customers should contact their financier or SunStrong Management at (833) 514-1858, and cash or loan customers should contact their lender. If you want Tesla or a Certified Installer to work on a legacy system, ask in writing what they will cover.

Owner reviews

We do not rank installers. Read owner reviews on our Tesla Solar page and SunPower page. Check review dates: many SunPower reviews predate 2025 and describe the old company, and many Tesla installs are now done by Certified Installers.

Tesla Solar vs SunPower: which is the better fit?

• You want a fast, online price and a Tesla battery: Tesla's tool quotes instantly and defaults to Powerwall 3.
• You want microinverters and Enphase batteries: SunPower Inc. sells Enphase storage.
• You want a written production guarantee on a system you own: SunPower Inc. states one; Tesla does not on purchased systems.
• You want a lease: Tesla offers one only in its direct territories; ask SunPower what is available to you.

Whichever you lean toward, ask both companies the same questions so the quotes are comparable:

• What is the total cash price, and what is the total financed cost, including any fees?
• Which company installs the system, and which company do I call for service in year 3 and year 15?
• What exactly does the workmanship warranty cover, and does it include roof leaks?
• Is there a production guarantee in my contract, and how is a shortfall measured and paid?
• How is the production estimate calculated, and what shading was assumed?

Because the federal residential credit is not allowed for solar installations completed after December 31, 2025, any savings estimate that subtracts a 25D credit is out of date. Ask for a new estimate if you see one.

Next steps

Get written quotes from both and compare price per watt, financing cost and warranties in our solar quote checker. You can see more options in our solar company directory.