What to Know Before Going Solar with Sunrun

No question about it, going solar will change your life, or at least the way you think about energy. And as with any big decision, you want to do your homework. Here are a few things you might want to know about how billing works, and how you can save the most money with your new home solar system.

1. Net-metering 101

The highlights of your solar system include the panels on your roof, and a net meter. Your system is connected to your local utility and the net meter monitors how much solar electricity is sent to the grid. That way, when you produce more electricity than you need, you’ll earn credit for it. It’s like the utility company is paying you!

2. Reducing costs

When you go solar with Sunrun, customers may savw on their electric bills. Your energy use affects how much you’ll save, so if after switching to solar you suddenly start using a lot more energy than you did before, you could end up with a bigger bill. When you use less, you’ll owe less. 

3.The big picture

When you have solar, your total annual electricity costs will be lower than before. But month-to-month your savings will vary. This is due to seasonality. In the summer months when the days are longer, the extra sunshine translates into extra energy, and extra savings. Hello, solar credits! Conversely in winter, the opposite is true. Fewer hours of sunlight mean your panels will produce less, but those solar credits from summertime will balance things out in the long run.

4. Billing

If you’re wondering whether going solar will mean complicated billing, don’t worry. When you chose a monthly plan with Sunrun, you’ll get two bills—one from your utility company and one from Sunrun. Your Sunrun bill will be your regular monthly lease amount, plus the power the solar system generates. The bill from your utility will be for any additional electricity you need beyond what your Sunrun system makes.