Sunpower vs Solar City vs Sunrun

[scubadoo]

Hi, new to all this. I am in the lower Hudson Valley. Coned is my provider and I may about $.21. Over the course of a week I met with all 3 companies plus a few independents. I decided to do an upfront lease because the #s just work for me and I think it works out cheaper in the long run as the companies play some accounting trickery with the accelerated depreciation which the homeowner doesn't get.

Sunrun - Originally the most expensive and pushing the monthly lease with a 2.5% increase every year. They wanted $82 a month for 6,790kw a year. Up front was $12,600. Told them I got much lower proposals and the price dropped to $8,400. Turned me off immediately.

Solar City - WOW! Felt like a used car salesman. Even told me there was a special expiring at midnight that would save me another $500. Their proposal was similar to Sunrun's. I was really turned off by the heavy duty sales pitch.

Sunpower - Offered the best equipment by far and was the only one to actually inspect, take measurements of sun angles, look at the interior of the roof, etc. Here is what I got:

22 Sunpower e320/327 panels
Sunpower SPR 3000 & 4000 inverters
Guaranteed Production of 7,100kwh

$7,500 for 20 years. If I sell, I can buy at Remaining Value which in year 7 is $652. They figure 4 months to install.

[Ian S]

Hi, new to all this. I am in the lower Hudson Valley. Coned is my provider and I may about $.21. Over the course of a week I met with all 3 companies plus a few independents. I decided to do an upfront lease because the #s just work for me and I think it works out cheaper in the long run as the companies play some accounting trickery with the accelerated depreciation which the homeowner doesn't get.

Sunrun - Originally the most expensive and pushing the monthly lease with a 2.5% increase every year. They wanted $82 a month for 6,790kw a year. Up front was $12,600. Told them I got much lower proposals and the price dropped to $8,400. Turned me off immediately.

Solar City - WOW! Felt like a used car salesman. Even told me there was a special expiring at midnight that would save me another $500. Their proposal was similar to Sunrun's. I was really turned off by the heavy duty sales pitch.

Sunpower - Offered the best equipment by far and was the only one to actually inspect, take measurements of sun angles, look at the interior of the roof, etc. Here is what I got:

22 Sunpower e320/327 panels
Sunpower SPR 3000 & 4000 inverters
Guaranteed Production of 7,100kwh

$7,500 for 20 years. If I sell, I can buy at Remaining Value which in year 7 is $652. They figure 4 months to install.

Yeah, the prepaid Sunpower lease is hard to beat. I signed my Sunpower lease back in October. Here in Phoenix, I was also told 3-5 mo to install. Unfortunately, it wound up taking over 7 months and required getting an extension to the utility rebate although if the extension had not been approved, it would not come out of my pocket (check your lease to make sure that's still the case.) That said, there is also a clause in my lease that states that if the system is not installed after six months, either party can walk away from the lease so that might be what happens in the event the utility rebate actually were to expire. There is some question as to who was to blame for my excessive wait but perhaps you could ask for references from your Sunpower dealer from folks who had gone with this lease and find out their timeframe. I would also say that the year 7 buyout may or may not be viable as there has been much concern that the IRS does not allow for such specific buyout values but rather requires an appraised "fair market value" to be determined instead. I guess we'll find out in time as others get to the seven year point and attempt the buyout. It's not beyond the realm of possibility that you could do the buyout but wind up liable for taxes. I'm not too concerned with that as I may just hold on to the system for the 20 year period. Anyway, get a copy of the lease if you haven't already and go through it with a fine tooth comb - maybe even have a lawyer look at it. Actually, I found it pretty easy to read and understand.

So, by all means go for it. I think you'll be glad you did. Even after the long wait, I'm very pleased so far.

[kimo]

Sunpower sounds like the best choice from what you described. I can't believe the other company's would throw out #'s without even taking measurements etc. Seems like they care more about the $$$ than the customer having the right Solar system?

[KRenn]

Hi, new to all this. I am in the lower Hudson Valley. Coned is my provider and I may about $.21. Over the course of a week I met with all 3 companies plus a few independents. I decided to do an upfront lease because the #s just work for me and I think it works out cheaper in the long run as the companies play some accounting trickery with the accelerated depreciation which the homeowner doesn't get.

Sunrun - Originally the most expensive and pushing the monthly lease with a 2.5% increase every year. They wanted $82 a month for 6,790kw a year. Up front was $12,600. Told them I got much lower proposals and the price dropped to $8,400. Turned me off immediately.

Solar City - WOW! Felt like a used car salesman. Even told me there was a special expiring at midnight that would save me another $500. Their proposal was similar to Sunrun's. I was really turned off by the heavy duty sales pitch.

Sunpower - Offered the best equipment by far and was the only one to actually inspect, take measurements of sun angles, look at the interior of the roof, etc. Here is what I got:

22 Sunpower e320/327 panels
Sunpower SPR 3000 & 4000 inverters
Guaranteed Production of 7,100kwh

$7,500 for 20 years. If I sell, I can buy at Remaining Value which in year 7 is $652. They figure 4 months to install.

Sun power by far. The pricing is nice but the quality of the equipment is phenomenal while the other two will give you whatever panels happen to be most discounted at that particular time.


Sunpower has pricing superiority so from everything I hear it seems like the other competing leases are turning to the "buy now or else" heavy-duty/high-pressure sales pitch to get the deal locked up without the homeowner going out and getting additional quotes and realizing how badly they're being screwed.

[Ian S]

Sun power by far. The pricing is nice but the quality of the equipment is phenomenal while the other two will give you whatever panels happen to be most discounted at that particular time.


Sunpower has pricing superiority so from everything I hear it seems like the other competing leases are turning to the "buy now or else" heavy-duty/high-pressure sales pitch to get the deal locked up without the homeowner going out and getting additional quotes and realizing how badly they're being screwed.

I'm thinking that Sunpower has effectively cut out the middleman and that's how they price out so attractively. Solarcity and the others don't make the stuff they just do the financing and pay commissions to their salesmen and maybe contract for imstallation. I don't remember specifically but at least one of those big name outfits had several different people involved in selling to me. That's all gotta cost money.

[JGSolar]

Willing to share proposals?

Hi, new to all this. I am in the lower Hudson Valley. Coned is my provider and I may about $.21. Over the course of a week I met with all 3 companies plus a few independents. I decided to do an upfront lease because the #s just work for me and I think it works out cheaper in the long run as the companies play some accounting trickery with the accelerated depreciation which the homeowner doesn't get.

Sunrun - Originally the most expensive and pushing the monthly lease with a 2.5% increase every year. They wanted $82 a month for 6,790kw a year. Up front was $12,600. Told them I got much lower proposals and the price dropped to $8,400. Turned me off immediately.

Solar City - WOW! Felt like a used car salesman. Even told me there was a special expiring at midnight that would save me another $500. Their proposal was similar to Sunrun's. I was really turned off by the heavy duty sales pitch.

Sunpower - Offered the best equipment by far and was the only one to actually inspect, take measurements of sun angles, look at the interior of the roof, etc. Here is what I got:

22 Sunpower e320/327 panels
Sunpower SPR 3000 & 4000 inverters
Guaranteed Production of 7,100kwh

$7,500 for 20 years. If I sell, I can buy at Remaining Value which in year 7 is $652. They figure 4 months to install.

Scubadoo: would you be willing to share the proposals you received?

[Rockit31]

Scubadoo: would you be willing to share the proposals you received?

I realize SunPower has recently raised their leasing prices, but man oh man, they must have really raised them. I don't know if pricing for SunPower varies from state to state, but today, here in Central California, a 24 panel system of E20's for me was quoted in a range from 25 to 29K!!! This alone is making me hesitant to do SunPower period.

[KRenn]

I realize SunPower has recently raised their leasing prices, but man oh man, they must have really raised them. I don't know if pricing for SunPower varies from state to state, but today, here in Central California, a 24 panel system of E20's for me was quoted in a range from 25 to 29K!!! This alone is making me hesitant to do SunPower period.

Sign of the times. The leases are going away, starting with the prepaid leases, once the 1603 Grant expired, leasing began its final death march. All the other companies will follow suit shortly, some like NRG have just flat out ended their prepaid offering.