Sunrun, the largest residential rooftop solar company in the United States, announced a significant strategic pivot toward direct sales operations. The company reported second-quarter revenue of $870 million, representing 53% year-over-year growth, with net income attributable to common stockholders reaching $115.2 million, or $0.42 per diluted share. The strong financial performance was supported by growth in energy systems and product sales.
Despite the revenue gains, Sunrun adjusted its full-year financial guidance downward, citing reduced origination from third-party affiliate channels, delayed onboarding for new sales representatives, and elevated capital expenditures. The company hired 1,500 direct sales representatives during the quarter to support its shift away from affiliate-based business development. The move comes as affiliate channels have become less reliable for customer acquisition, particularly following the April 2026 Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing of Freedom Forever, one of Sunrun’s major affiliate partners.
The company installed 19,793 subscriber systems in the second quarter, though this represented a 31% decline compared to the same period in the prior year. On a positive note, Sunrun achieved record adoption of energy storage add-ons, with 74% of systems now including storage components, up from 70% in the prior-year quarter. The company has installed more than 266,000 total storage systems, providing 4.6 GWh of capacity, with 332 MWh added during the most recent quarter.
Sunrun’s transition to direct sales addresses challenges inherent in the affiliate model, which minimizes upfront costs but can limit customer conversion rates and create vulnerability to partner company failures. By building an internal sales organization, the company aims to secure higher unit margins and establish direct customer relationships while reducing dependence on third-party channels.
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