Sunrun, a provider of clean energy as a subscription service, introduced Sunrun Flex, a solar and battery storage solution intended to adapt to customers’ changing energy needs.
Sunrun claims Flex provides protection against increased energy use from life events, such as growing a family or purchasing an electric vehicle. Customers receive a monthly minimum bill, while paying for extra energy above their pre-solar consumption baseline when they use it at a locked-in “Flex Rate.”
Flex households also receive battery backup during outages and the opportunity to earn “Sunrun Rollover Credits,” which they can then apply when they use more energy in the future. This allows customers to bank credits during months of less energy demand and apply them later when they exceed their baseline.
“Sunrun Flex is a game-changing innovation that is customer-first in all aspects,” said Sunrun CEO Mary Powell. “Customers appreciate the peace of mind that comes from removing any guesswork and knowing they can flex their consumption depending on their energy lifestyle, while also providing protection for those hot summer months when consumption naturally increases.”
Home solar systems are typically designed to either match a household’s current energy usage or be oversized in anticipation of future needs — a practice that Sunrun says argues can result in either unmet needs as energy usage increases, or generating solar energy that is not used immediately.
“We know households that go solar increase their energy consumption by about 15% within the first year. It’s also not uncommon for solar customers to adopt an electric vehicle, which drives up their energy consumption even more,” said Sunrun President and Chief Revenue Officer Paul Dickson. “Flex is designed for the future of home energy. As customers adopt a more electrified lifestyle, Flex will provide them and their communities with benefits on day one, while unlocking future revenue opportunities for Sunrun.”
Sunrun Flex systems are sized above a customer’s pre-solar usage for the customer’s growing energy needs. The customer will always pay a minimum monthly bill, and if the customer exceeds their energy baseline in a month, they will purchase the additional electricity at a Flex Rate. If the customer uses less than their energy baseline in a month, they will accrue Rollover Credits that can be used against their Flex charges in future months.
