Sunrun is working to reduce its reliance on affiliates for customer acquisition and move further toward a direct-sales model in the United States. In the second quarter of 2026, the company added 1,500 representatives to its direct sales force, a step intended to give it a closer relationship with customers and achieve higher profit margins per unit.
The shift came as Sunrun reported revenue of $870 million during the second quarter, an increase of 53% compared with the same period a year earlier. Net income attributable to common shareholders also reached $115.2 million, or $0.42 per diluted share, driven by growth in sales of energy systems and related products.
However, revenue growth did not prevent the company from lowering its financial guidance for 2026. It attributed the adjustments to a decline in customer acquisitions through external partner channels, delays in new sales representatives reaching full productivity, and higher capital costs. Sunrun had previously benefited from affiliates as a lower-cost channel than building an internal sales network.
Why Did Sunrun Choose Direct Sales?
External partnerships provide access to customers without incurring employee salaries and the costs of offices, parking, computers, transportation, insurance, and benefits. However, this model leaves the company with less control over converting leads into actual buyers and makes the flow of orders more vulnerable to partner problems or their withdrawal from the market.
The article indicates that one of Sunrun’s main partners, Freedom Forever, entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection proceedings in April 2026. This alone does not establish the reason for the strategic shift, but it illustrates the practical risks that may result from heavy reliance on external sales channels. Accordingly, direct sales appear to be a way for Sunrun to gain greater control over the customer relationship, even with the initially higher operating costs.
Decline in Installed Systems and Clear Growth in Storage
Sunrun installed a total of 19,793 subscriber systems during the second quarter, down 31% from the second quarter of 2025. At the same time, the share of solar energy systems that included storage solutions rose to 74%, compared with 70% in the same period last year.
The company’s total installed storage systems exceeded 266,000, with cumulative capacity of 4.6 gigawatt-hours, including 332 megawatt-hours added during the latest quarter. The company is also continuing to expand grid services alongside energy-system sales.
What Is Changing in Practice?
The shift means that Sunrun is betting on a direct relationship with customers to offset the weakness of partner channels, but it will consequently bear higher expenses related to hiring, training, and operations. The second-quarter results present a mixed picture: strong growth in revenue and storage, alongside a decline in the number of installed systems and a reduction in the annual outlook. The success of the new strategy will therefore depend on the expanded sales team’s ability to reach sufficient productivity and on continued demand for storage solutions and grid services.