Sunrun, which has maintained its position as the leading rooftop solar installer in the United States following the decline of SolarCity under Tesla ownership, has announced a strategic realignment of its sales operations. The California-based company reported second quarter revenue of $870 million, representing 53% year-over-year growth, with net income reaching $115.2 million. However, the company simultaneously adjusted its full-year financial guidance downward and disclosed plans to expand its direct sales force significantly.
The shift reflects mounting difficulties with the affiliate sales model that had previously driven customer acquisition. In response, Sunrun expanded its team by adding 1,500 direct sales representatives during the second quarter. The transition away from third-party channels was partly prompted by the April Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing of Freedom Forever, one of the company’s major affiliate partners. While affiliate arrangements minimize operational costs by avoiding employee salaries, benefits, and overhead expenses, they create vulnerabilities if partners face financial difficulties or struggle to convert potential customers.
Despite the strategic repositioning, Sunrun’s operational metrics present a mixed picture. The company installed 19,793 subscriber systems in the second quarter, though this figure declined 31% compared to the same period in 2025. The downward revision to full-year guidance cited reduced origination from third-party affiliates, delays in onboarding new sales representatives, and elevated capital expenses. Offsetting some concerns, the company achieved record adoption of energy storage add-ons, with 74% of solar installations including battery systems compared to 70% in the prior year period.
Sunrun has installed more than 266,000 total storage systems representing 4.6 gigawatt-hours of capacity. Company leadership believes the renewed emphasis on direct customer relationships and higher unit margins through direct sales channels will support renewed growth as the business executes this operational transition.
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