How Do I Quit Sunrun?
Sunrun is one of the largest solar leasing companies in the United States. Under their model, homeowners lease solar panel systems installed on their rooftops rather than purchasing them outright. Leasing provides a means to go solar with little or no upfront costs. However, the lease agreements typically lock homeowners into 10-20 year contracts with penalties for early termination.
Cancelling a solar lease with Sunrun before the term is up can be challenging but possible. It requires properly notifying the company, settling any outstanding payments, scheduling system removal, and paying any applicable cancellation fees. Key considerations include reviewing your original lease agreement, understanding cancellation consequences, and exploring solar ownership or other renewable options if terminating the lease.
Understand Your Solar Lease Agreement
If you leased your solar panel system from Sunrun, the first step in canceling is to carefully review your original lease agreement. According to Solar Reviews, solar lease contracts typically range from 20-25 years in length [1]. EcoWatch notes leases are often 20-25 years since this matches the 25-30 year lifespan of most solar panels [2]. Solar to the People explains lease agreements lay out costs for the duration of the contract [3].
When reviewing your lease, pay close attention to any early termination fees or penalties for cancelling the agreement before the end of the term. Understanding these costs and your remaining obligations will help you make an informed decision about moving forward with cancelling your Sunrun lease.
Notify Sunrun of Your Intent to Cancel
To formally cancel your Sunrun solar lease, you must send official written notice of your intent to terminate the contract. This notice should be sent via certified mail to Sunrun’s corporate office address, which can be found on your original lease agreement.
Your cancellation letter should clearly state that you wish to terminate the lease and remove the solar panel system from your home. Provide your account details and a brief explanation for why you want to cancel the lease. Reasons may include moving, unsatisfactory system performance, or financial hardship.
Formally request that Sunrun send you a final bill for any outstanding payments owed and confirmation that the lease has been terminated. You may need to provide written approval for panel removal as well.
Per the Sunrun Terms of Service “You may cancel a recurring payment by emailing Sunrun at [email protected].” However, formal lease termination requires official notice sent by certified mail.
Keep a dated copy of your cancellation letter and the mailing receipt. This creates a paper trail demonstrating you properly notified Sunrun of your intent to end the solar lease.
Settle Any Outstanding Payments
Before you can terminate your solar lease, you’ll need to make sure that all outstanding payments and bills are settled. This includes:
- Paying any unpaid lease fees or monthly payments that are still owed to Sunrun
- Settling the balance on any remaining loan amounts used to finance the solar panels
- Paying any late fees or penalties that have accrued
You’ll also want to check if there are any other financial obligations or clauses in your original lease agreement that need to be resolved before cancellation. This may include an early termination fee, de-installation fees, or the payoff amount for purchasing the system.
Sunrun will provide you with a final statement that outlines any outstanding balances. Be sure to get written confirmation from Sunrun that all payments have been received and your account is in good standing prior to moving forward with the termination process.
Once all bills have been paid, you’ll be in a position to have the solar panels safely removed from your home without any liens or financial disputes.
Schedule System Removal
Once you have notified Sunrun of your intent to cancel your contract and settled any outstanding payments, the next step is to schedule a date and time for Sunrun to send a team to uninstall the solar system from your roof. According to the Sunrun lease agreement, Sunrun is responsible for the solar panel removal process including disconnecting the system from the energy grid and dismantling the mounting system to remove the panels and other equipment (1).
When scheduling the system removal, be sure to choose a date that allows enough time for you to complete any prior steps in the cancellation process. Discuss with the Sunrun team how long the solar panel removal is expected to take. It’s a good idea to plan to be home during the solar panel uninstall so you can oversee the process and address any issues or questions from the removal team.
The Sunrun team will take care of fully removing all solar panels, racks, mounts, wiring and other system components from your roof. They will also clean the roof and repair any damage caused during the solar panel removal process (2). Having the experts handle the solar panel uninstall ensures the job is done properly and safely.
(1) https://eg-electric.com/temporarily-removing-solar-panels-for-a-new-roof/
(2) https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/solar-panel-removal-when-how-safely-remove-panels-energyaid-inc
Have Panels Removed
On the scheduled removal date, you or someone else will need to be present to grant the solar company access and oversee the panel removal process. Expect the removal to take several hours or up to a full day depending on the size of your system.
Once the panels have been taken off the roof and any associated electrical components disconnected, inspect the roof and property thoroughly. Check for any damage that may have occurred during the removal process and point it out to the solar company representatives. They should repair any damage before leaving the premises.
Finally, you will need to sign paperwork confirming the solar equipment has been satisfactorily removed from your property. This paperwork may include a final bill for any outstanding payments owed on the lease. Be sure to keep copies for your records. The solar company will haul away the old solar panels and associated parts after the removal process is complete.
Sources: https://modernize.com/solar/solar-panel-removal, https://formesolar.com/cost-to-remove-solar-panels/
Consider Solar Ownership
Purchasing a solar panel system outright can provide more long-term savings compared to leasing. While the upfront cost is higher, owning the system allows you to keep the tax credits and eliminates monthly lease payments. According to this analysis, purchasing solar panels often makes more economic sense if you plan to stay in your home for over 10 years.
When buying solar panels, you can pay cash upfront or take out a loan. Home equity loans, solar-specific loans, and Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing allow you to finance a solar panel system over 15-30 years. Monthly loan payments are usually less than lease payments. Plus, once the loan is paid off, you own the solar system free and clear.
Explore Other Renewable Options
You may want to consider other renewable energy options besides owning your own solar panels if you decide to cancel your Sunrun lease. Here are some alternatives to explore:
Community solar allows you to purchase shares in a nearby solar farm and receive credits on your electricity bill for the energy produced. This allows you to support renewable energy without installing panels on your home.
Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) are tradable certificates that represent the environmental benefits of 1 megawatt-hour of renewable energy. You can purchase RECs through your utility or renewable energy supplier.
Energy-as-a-Service allows you to pay a monthly fee to a provider who installs and maintains onsite renewable energy like solar panels or batteries. The provider owns the system.
While these don’t provide energy bill savings like owned panels, they allow you to reduce your carbon footprint and support renewable energy in other ways.
Understand Cancellation Consequences
Quitting your solar lease early can have significant financial and environmental consequences that are important to consider. The biggest impact will be on your monthly electric bill. Without the solar energy from the lease panels offsetting your home’s energy use, your bill will increase, potentially by a sizable amount.
According to research by EnergySage, canceling a 20-year solar lease after just 5 years can result in losing up to 80% of the total projected energy bill savings from the system [1]. This loss is because you’ll no longer benefit from 15 more years of solar production. Be prepared for a rise in your electricity costs if you cancel the lease.
You’ll also lose your access to a renewable energy source and any bill credits, incentives, or environmental perks like Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) associated with your solar panels. By canceling, your household’s carbon footprint will increase as you’ll need to rely more heavily on conventional utility-provided electricity that comes from fossil fuel plants.
Think carefully about walking away from the long-term savings and environmental benefits your solar lease was providing. Explore all options before deciding to cancel your contract early and incurring major consequences.
Conclusion
In summary, the main steps to canceling your Sunrun solar lease are:
- Carefully review your lease agreement and understand any penalties for early termination.
- Notify Sunrun in writing of your intent to cancel per the terms outlined in your contract.
- Settle any outstanding payments owed on the system.
- Schedule a date and time for Sunrun to remove the solar panels and equipment.
Before canceling your solar lease, we encourage you to thoroughly look at all your options. Buying out the system, selling your home with the panels, or waiting out the remainder of the lease term may be better choices in certain situations. Cancellation often involves fees and you may lose any upfront investment. Consider the pros and cons to make the best decision for your needs.
