Tesla Solar vs Sunrun: Leases, Batteries, Guarantees and Who Installs Your System

Tesla Solar vs Sunrun is a close match if you want to lease: both offer 25-year plans where the company owns and maintains the panels. Sunrun is built around leases, PPAs and prepaid plans with a 90% production guarantee and 25 years of repairs, while Tesla mainly sells systems you own and offers a 25-year lease with a 3% escalator only in its direct service territories. Your address often decides the comparison before price does.

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

Key takeaways

• Sunrun says about 95% of its customers choose a subscription (lease or PPA), per EnergySage in June 2026.
• Tesla's lease runs 25 years with a 3% yearly escalator and a buyout after five years, but only where Tesla installs directly.
• Sunrun guarantees at least 90% of estimated production on monthly lease and PPA plans (not in Florida); Tesla's lease guarantees 95% system availability.
• Tesla also sells systems for cash or with loans; Electrek reported a base cash price of about $2.30 per watt before incentives in August 2026.
• 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 and Sunrun sell solar

Tesla Solar

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.

Sunrun

Sunrun was founded in 2007 and has more than 1.1 million customers, according to EnergySage's June 2026 review. It sells and installs its own systems and says it operates in more than 5,000 cities in 20 states, naming California, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Texas, plus Washington, D.C. EnergySage reports that about 73% of Sunrun customers add battery storage.

Tesla Solar vs Sunrun at a glance

Feature	Tesla Solar	Sunrun
Main offer	Systems you own (cash or loan), often with Powerwall 3	Leases and PPAs it owns
Lease term	25 years (12 for Powerwall-only)	25 years (15 in Illinois and Puerto Rico)
Escalator	3% per year	Set in your contract; none on prepaid
Guarantee on lease	95% availability, checked every two years	At least 90% of estimated production (not in Florida)
Maintenance on lease	Included, including battery and inverter replacements	25 years of maintenance and repairs, parts and labor
Prepaid option	Not reported	Yes, one payment for 25 years
Ownership option	Yes, cash or loan	Yes, cash purchase (about 5% of customers)
Lease availability	Tesla direct territories only	Sunrun's service states

Comparing the Tesla and Sunrun solar leases

Tesla: When the lease launched in 2025, Drive Tesla reported an upfront payment of $600 for solar and $100 per Powerwall, payments that start after the system is turned on, and a 3% annual escalator. Tesla monitors and maintains the system, including battery and inverter replacements, and guarantees 95% system availability, evaluated every two years. You can buy out after five years at a price set in the lease. At the end, you can renew for five years or have Tesla remove the system for a fee.

Sunrun: Sunrun's subscription is a monthly lease or a PPA billed per kWh. Its FAQ says every year's rate is written into the contract. The prepaid plan covers 25 years with one payment and has no escalator. At the end of the term you can buy at fair market value, renew annually or have Sunrun remove the system, and Sunrun's annual report for 2025 (filed February 2026) says renewals are typically priced at a 10% discount to then-current power prices. Buyouts during the term are allowed only at times set in your agreement.

Escalators make a big difference over 25 years. Read solar lease escalator clauses explained and ask both companies for the full payment schedule.

Guarantees and warranties

The Sunrun Guarantee includes 25 years of maintenance and repairs, 24/7 monitoring and a watertight roof warranty. On monthly lease and PPA plans, Sunrun guarantees at least 90% of estimated lifetime production and pays the difference. Sunrun says this is not available in Florida and Illinois terms differ; EnergySage adds there is no performance guarantee in Hawaii and the figure is 85% in Puerto Rico. Sunrun's annual report says roof penetration warranties run up to ten years.

Tesla's guarantee on a lease is about availability, meaning the system is up and running, not a production amount. If you buy from Tesla, its panels are guaranteed to at least 80% of nameplate power for at least 25 years, with Tesla doing claim labor at its cost, and Tesla says it makes no other performance guarantee.

Batteries and backup

Tesla's design tool now pre-selects Powerwall 3. Tesla's US warranty covers Powerwall 3 for ten years with 70% of its 13.5 kWh capacity retained at year ten and unlimited cycles for self-consumption, time-based control and backup.

Sunrun installs batteries with many of its systems and its guarantee says the battery will keep your lights on during an outage. EnergySage says a single battery can add roughly $15,000 to a Sunrun project and that Sunrun customers can join virtual power plant programs. Our guide on whether solar batteries are worth it can help you decide if you need one.

Owner reviews

We do not rank installers. Read owner reviews on our Tesla Solar page and Sunrun page. With Tesla, a Certified Installer may handle your install and service, so check that company's record too.

Which should you choose?

• You want to own and pay the lowest upfront price per watt: start with Tesla's online quote and compare it with local installers.
• You want a production guarantee on a lease: Sunrun's monthly lease and PPA plans include one outside Florida.
• You want to prepay once with no escalator: Sunrun offers a prepaid plan.
• Tesla's lease is not offered at your address: your Tesla choice is buying or financing.

Before signing with either company, get written answers to these questions:

• What is my payment in year 1, year 10 and year 25?
• What is the buyout price, and when can I use it?
• What does the guarantee measure, and how is a shortfall paid?
• How does a transfer work if I sell? Tesla handles transfers in its app; Sunrun uses an online Transfer Portal with a soft credit check for the buyer.
• What happens at the end of the term, and is there a removal fee?

Also keep the cancellation notice that comes with your contract. Many in-home sales carry a short cooling-off period under the FTC's rule, and some states allow more time.

Next steps

Get written quotes from both and compare them in our solar quote checker. You can see more options in our solar company directory.