History of Sunrun in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: May 22, 2025

Sunrun Inc., founded in 2007 and headquartered in San Francisco, is an American company specializing in residential photovoltaic systems and battery energy storage. It focuses on providing sustainable energy solutions directly to homeowners, offering alternatives to traditional electricity providers. Sunrun designs, installs, and maintains solar energy systems, allowing customers to generate their own power and potentially reduce their carbon footprint.

January 2007: Sunrun Co-founded

In January 2007, Sunrun was co-founded by Lynn Jurich, Ed Fenster, and Nat Kreamer. Sunrun offered customers a lease or a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) business model. Under this model, homeowners paid for electricity usage without buying solar panels, thus reducing the initial capital outlay required.

2007: Sunrun Inc. Established

In 2007, Sunrun Inc. was established as an American provider of photovoltaic systems and battery energy storage products, primarily for residential customers. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

June 2008: Venture Capital Funding

In June 2008, Sunrun raised $12 million in venture capital funding from a group of investors, including Foundation Capital.

2009: Series B Funding and Tax Equity Commitment

In 2009, Sunrun closed a Series B round of funding for $18 million led by Accel Partners and joined by Foundation Capital. The company also received an additional commitment of $90 million in tax equity from U.S. Bancorp.

June 2010: Deal with PG&E

In June 2010, Sunrun struck a deal with PG&E for $100 million. Following the deal, the company announced $55 million in fresh capital from Sequoia Capital.

May 2014: Company Raised $150 Million

In May 2014, Sunrun raised $150 million.

2015: Sunrun Goes Public and Launches BrightBox

In 2015, Sunrun went public on the Nasdaq stock exchange at $14 per share, with an initial market capitalization of $1.36 billion. Also in 2015, Sunrun launched its BrightBox battery energy storage product in the state of Hawaii.

January 2017: Strategic Partnership with National Grid plc

In January 2017, Sunrun announced a strategic partnership with National Grid plc.

May 2017: SEC Investigation

In May 2017, it was reported that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was investigating Sunrun and SolarCity regarding the disclosure of canceled contracts.

July 2020: Sunrun to Acquire Vivint Solar

In July 2020, Sunrun announced that it would acquire Vivint Solar for $3.2 billion.

October 2020: Acquisition of Vivint Solar Completed

By early October 2020, Sunrun's acquisition of Vivint Solar was completed following approval by regulators and stockholders, creating a valuation of approximately $22 billion.

February 2022: Partnership with Ford

In February 2022, Ford announced a partnership making Sunrun the official installer of bidirectional charging stations for the F-150 Lightning. This allows customers to charge their trucks at home and use the vehicle battery for backup power during grid outages.

2023: Installation of Solar Systems

In 2023, Sunrun installed solar systems capable of generating 990 megawatts of power. The company had installed a total of 5.7 gigawatts of power for nearly 800,000 customers in its history.