Sunrun launches new solar/storage subscription that ‘flexes’ with changing power needs

Sunrun today introduced a solar and battery storage solution designed to adapt to customers’ changing energy needs — Sunrun Flex. 

Flex is a smarter way to design solar energy for homes with protection against increased energy use from life events, such as growing a family or purchasing an electric vehicle. Customers enjoy a predictable monthly minimum payment, while only paying for extra energy above their pre-solar consumption baseline when they use it at a low, locked-in Flex Rate.

Flex households also benefit from battery backup during outages and the exclusive opportunity to earn Sunrun Rollover Credits — a new offering and likely the first of its kind in the solar industry.

“Sunrun Flex is a game-changing innovation that is customer-first in all aspects,” said Sunrun CEO Mary Powell. “Customers appreciate the peace of mind that comes from removing any guesswork and knowing they can flex their consumption depending on their energy lifestyle, while also providing protection for those hot summer months when consumption naturally increases.”

Home solar systems are typically designed to either match a household’s current energy usage or be oversized in anticipation of future needs — potentially resulting in either unmet needs as energy usage increases or generating solar energy that is not used immediately. Flex removes any uncertainty, offering a solution that fits families’ needs now and in the future.

With Flex, customers have cost predictability and enjoy affordable monthly payments with the ability to “flex” their energy usage as life changes — all while knowing exactly what their cost per kilowatt-hour will be. Customers will also earn credits when they use less energy than their baseline and can apply those credits when they use more energy in the future. This allows customers to bank credits during months of less energy demand and apply them later when they exceed their baseline.

Sunrun Flex comes standard with battery storage, providing most homes with full backup energy protection during outages and helping customers avoid peak utility rates by using stored solar power in the evenings. Flex customers are also enrolled in Sunrun’s grid services programs (virtual power plants) and are compensated for participating, where available.

Every Sunrun Flex subscription includes 24/7 system monitoring, free maintenance and repairs, a solar performance and battery health guarantee, and Flex Guarantee, which ensures a customer will not pay Sunrun more than the panels produce annually.

“We know households that go solar increase their energy consumption by about 15% within the first year. It’s also not uncommon for solar customers to adopt an electric vehicle, which drives up their energy consumption even more,” said Sunrun President and Chief Revenue Officer Paul Dickson. “Flex is designed for the future of home energy. As customers adopt a more electrified lifestyle, Flex will provide them and their communities with benefits on day one, while unlocking future revenue opportunities for Sunrun.”

Sunrun Flex systems are sized above a customer’s pre-solar usage for the customer’s growing energy needs. The customer will always pay a minimum monthly bill, and if the customer exceeds their energy baseline in a month, they will purchase the additional electricity at a Flex Rate. If the customer uses less than their energy baseline in a month, they will accrue Rollover Credits that can be used against their Flex charges in future months.

With Flex, Sunrun optimizes the flow of solar energy to provide the most benefit to the customer, whether that’s immediate self consumption, storing it in the battery for later use, or exporting it to the grid so that the customer can get utility credits.

“Flex gives us peace of mind knowing that our family is protected against rising utility bills and that our Sunrun Flex system will grow with us,” said Sunrun Flex customer Pete Aguilar. “Now we can live freely and make upgrades to our home because we’ve got energy available when we need it.”

Sunrun’s Flex offering is exclusive to Sunrun-managed sales teams. For more information about Sunrun Flex, visit sunrun.com/flex.