Sunrun vs. SunPower: How They Compare After SunPower's 2024 Bankruptcy
SunPower filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2024; Complete Solaria acquired the business and now runs it under the SunPower brand for California customers. That ownership change is the main thing to know before comparing the two companies on price, equipment and service. Here's how Sunrun and SunPower actually stack up now.
This page is one part of our solar installer and panel reviews.
Key Differences
- SunPower = premium panels. Industry-leading 22%+ efficiency and up to 25 years of manufacturer warranty coverage on premium panels and microinverters (SunPower Inc., warranty and resources, checked 2026-09-22). Best-in-class panels if you care about maximum watts per square foot.
- Sunrun = broader panel options, mid-tier pricing, PPA/lease availability. No premium panel line.
- Post-bankruptcy SunPower (now under Complete Solaria) has reaffirmed warranty continuity for existing customers but remains smaller and less financially stable than pre-bankruptcy.
- Sunrun has not gone through a bankruptcy: it reported 1,034,738 subscribers at June 30, 2026 in its second-quarter 2026 results (August 5, 2026). The same release shows $186 million of cash used in operations for the quarter, so its finances are worth reading, not assuming.
Did Sunrun Go Out of Business? Where Each Company Stands
Sunrun is still in business. It reported second-quarter 2026 results on August 5, 2026, counting 1,034,738 subscribers at June 30, 2026, and the release says nothing about bankruptcy or restructuring. It also reported $186 million of cash used in operating activities for the quarter and revised its full-year 2026 outlook (Sunrun, Q2 2026 results, checked 2026-09-23). Those are the company's own figures, not a forecast from us.
SunPower Corporation did go bankrupt. It filed for Chapter 11 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware on August 5, 2024, case 24-11649 (court docket). The SunPower name now belongs to Complete Solaria's business, which is why the table below separates systems installed before and after September 30, 2024.
For the full record on Sunrun, including complaints and contract terms, see the Sunrun review. If you are asking because your own installer has stopped answering, what to do when a California solar installer goes bankrupt covers warranties, monitoring and who services an orphaned system.
Side by Side: Ownership, Warranty, Service and Licenses (Sourced Today)
| Factor | Sunrun | SunPower (Complete Solaria) |
|---|---|---|
| Ownership models offered | Lease (Sunrun owns the system), PPA (Sunrun owns), loan (homeowner owns), cash purchase (homeowner owns). | Cash purchase (homeowner owns), loan (homeowner owns, $0-down for qualified buyers), lease and PPA (both through a third-party financing provider, not SunPower Inc. itself — that provider owns, installs, maintains and insures the system). Availability varies by state. |
| Warranty on a new install | The Sunrun Guarantee: at least 90% of estimated lifetime production (Sunrun pays the shortfall), free replacement parts and labor for 25 years, a watertight roof warranty, and a guarantee the battery keeps your lights on in an outage. Applies to Subscription and Protection Plus plans — not stated to apply automatically to a cash or loan purchase. Not available in Florida; Illinois terms vary. | 10-year workmanship warranty, two years of free inspections and support, a production guarantee (remediation triggers if output falls below 50% for 3 consecutive months or below 85% for 18 consecutive months), and up to 25 years of manufacturer coverage on premium panels and microinverters. |
| If you already owned the old company's system | Not applicable — Sunrun hasn't changed corporate identity. | If your system was installed under the original SunPower Corporation on or before September 30, 2024, SunPower Inc. states the 2024 acquisition “did not include taking any interest” in that system, lease or PPA — contact your lender/financier, or SunStrong Management at (833) 514-1858. Systems installed after that date keep the warranty given at signing, serviced by SunPower Inc. |
| Service/transfer when you sell the home | A lease or PPA doesn't end at sale — it transfers through a 4-step process: exchange buyer/escrow details, confirm the closing date, e-sign the transfer agreement (buyer completes a soft credit check that doesn't affect their score), then the transfer finalizes at close and the seller gets a final invoice. Any UCC-1/NOIEPC notice on title is temporarily removed during transfer at no cost. If the buyer won't assume the agreement, the seller can prepay the balance into the sale price instead. A cash-purchased system conveys with the home like any other fixture. | Not published for a current SunPower Inc. lease or PPA on the pages checked. For a pre-9/30/2024 SunPower Corp. system, see the row above instead. |
| Who installs the system | Not stated on the pages checked — see the full Sunrun review. | Not stated on the pages checked — see the full SunPower review. |
| CSLB license number(s), as published | #750184 and #969975 (no classification given). Both current and active on CSLB's lookup, checked September 24, 2026 — check again before signing. | #961988, held by “Complete Solar, Inc. DBA SunPower,” classifications C-10 (Electrical) and C-46 (Solar). Current and active on CSLB's lookup, checked September 24, 2026, with a pending disciplinary action noted on the record — check again before signing. |
Sources: Sunrun, financing FAQ, Sunrun, your guarantee, Sunrun, moving FAQ, Sunrun, state license information, SunPower Inc., warranty and resources, SunPower Inc., financing and payment options, and SunPower Inc., licenses (all checked 2026-09-22).
Verify whichever CSLB number you're given directly before signing — see our full contractor-verification walkthrough. For how lease, PPA, loan and cash purchase actually differ in practice, beyond these two companies, see Solar Lease vs. PPA vs. Loan vs. Cash in California.
When to Choose SunPower (Complete Solaria)
- You're a cash buyer who wants the highest-efficiency panels.
- Your roof has limited area and you need to maximize kW-per-square-foot.
- You value SunPower's up to 25-year manufacturer warranty coverage on premium panels and microinverters.
- Premium aesthetics matter (all-black panels, minimal visible hardware).
When to Choose Sunrun
- You want a $0-down PPA or lease (SunPower focuses on cash and loan).
- Warranty-honor-risk concern from the SunPower bankruptcy matters to you.
- You value a larger installer with nationwide service presence.
- Your roof has standard area. The SunPower efficiency premium doesn't pay off without a space constraint.
The Warranty Question
Complete Solaria has publicly committed to honoring existing SunPower customer warranties. SunPower Inc.'s current site doesn't reference Maxeon branding, and the manufacturer warranty it markets today is up to 25 years — not the 40-year Maxeon-branded figure previously stated here (SunPower Inc., warranty and resources, checked 2026-09-22). That said:
- Panel warranty: up to 25 years of manufacturer coverage on premium panels and microinverters, per SunPower Inc.'s current warranty page.
- Workmanship warranty: Complete Solaria as assumed obligations — newer operation, less track record.
- Production guarantee (if included in your contract): verify specifically with your representative.
For new 2026 installs, ask your SunPower rep for explicit documentation of each warranty component and which entity is responsible.
Who Each Tends to Fit
Neither company is a better fit for every California homeowner — what changes the answer is which of these applies to your situation:
- If $0-down lease or PPA financing is the deciding factor, that changes what you're actually comparing: Sunrun offers lease and PPA directly, and owns the system under either. SunPower's lease/PPA runs through a separate third-party financing provider, not SunPower Inc. itself, and availability varies by state.
- If you're weighing what happens to your contract when you sell, Sunrun publishes a specific transfer process for its lease/PPA customers (above). SunPower Inc. doesn't publish an equivalent process for a post-2024 lease/PPA on its site (checked September 22, 2026) — ask directly before signing if that matters to you.
- If you already own a pre-9/30/2024 SunPower Corporation system, your warranty situation is materially different from either company's new-install terms — see the table above and contact SunStrong Management or your financier directly.
- If you want a single guarantee document that covers production, repairs, roof and battery together, that's how Sunrun structures its Subscription/Protection Plus guarantee. SunPower Inc.'s new-install coverage is split across a workmanship warranty, a 2-year support window, a production-shortfall formula and separate manufacturer warranties.
This isn't a ranking — read the full reviews for service history and complaint patterns before deciding: Full Sunrun Review · Full SunPower Review.
Business-Status Questions
Did Sunrun go out of business?
No. Sunrun reported its second-quarter 2026 results on August 5, 2026, with 1,034,738 subscribers at June 30, 2026, and the release does not mention bankruptcy or restructuring. It also reported $186 million of cash used in operating activities for the quarter and revised its 2026 guidance, so read the release if its finances matter to your decision.
Has Sunrun filed for bankruptcy?
Not according to its own August 5, 2026 results release, which reports continuing operations and a revised full-year outlook. The company in this comparison that did file is SunPower Corporation, which filed for Chapter 11 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware on August 5, 2024 (case 24-11649).
Is SunPower still in business?
The brand is. SunPower Corporation filed for Chapter 11 in August 2024, and the SunPower name is now used by Complete Solaria’s business. Its site says the acquisition did not take on systems, leases or PPAs from the original company installed on or before September 30, 2024, so owners of those systems deal with their financier or SunStrong Management.
The Bottom Line
For most California homeowners: Sunrun is the lower-risk pick in 2026, especially for PPA or lease buyers. SunPower (Complete Solaria) still makes sense for cash buyers who specifically want its premium-panel efficiency and warranty coverage — but verify warranty terms carefully at contract signing.
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