Fervor Grade™ — Sunrun
Solar (Residential Solar Panels & Battery Storage) · National brand, direct-hire (non-franchise)
Methodology note. This audit applies the Fervor Grade™ 2.0 National Framework scoring rubric to the 5 highest-traffic pages on sunrun.com. Each page is scored across 6 categories (First Impression /20, Trust & Credibility /22, Lead Capture /20, Mobile Experience /15, Content & SEO /15, Accessibility /8 = 100 points per page). Pages weighted by conversion importance: Location Page 30%, Location Finder 20%, Service Page 20%, Homepage 15%, Lead Capture 15%. Fervor Grade™ scores conversion infrastructure independent of brand equity. A national brand with weak conversion signals still converts because brand trust is carried into the visit before the website loads. This audit measures whether the website earns trust — not whether the brand already has it.
Homepage
Title: "Sunrun \
"1 million homes" social proof stat. "America's #1 provider" claim. BBB link in schema. Founded 2007 (17+ years). No embedded star ratings or review counts (1/5). No credentials/certifications visible above fold (2/4). No before/after gallery (0/4). No team presence (0/2). FAQ schema with 4 Q&A pairs.
Multi-step form present (QualifyStep, SubmitStep, ConfirmationStep components). LeadID and TrustedForm verification integrated — strong lead quality infrastructure. "Get a quote" CTA is generic (3/5). Phone + form = adequate multi-channel (4/5). Form below fold (3/5).
Fully responsive with breakpoints at 640px, 1024px, 1440px. Mobile-first design. Hamburger nav with clean toggle. Click-to-call phone in header. Professional mobile layout.
Title tag includes "#1 Home Storage and Solar Power Company" — strong but long. FAQ schema present with 4 questions. Organization schema with founding date, social profiles. BrightSave Monthly financing and federal tax credit referenced. No local SEO signals on homepage (appropriate for national). CWV: estimated borderline (React SPA with CDN assets).
Dark backgrounds (#070911) with light text — likely adequate contrast. Cream tones (#FFFBF0) with dark text. Body text appears 16px+.
"#1 Home Storage and Solar Power Company" positioning in title tag
"1 million homes" social proof creates immediate scale credibility
Multi-step form with LeadID and TrustedForm — sophisticated lead quality infrastructure
Professional visual design with consistent brand system
FAQ schema with structured Q&A pairs for SERP features
Phone number accessible in header navigation
No star ratings, review counts, or embedded reviews anywhere on homepage
No credentials or certifications visible (no NABCEP, no manufacturer badges)
No before/after imagery or project gallery
No team presence, founder story, or company culture signals
Hero headline prioritizes brand claim over customer outcome
No chat widget for alternative conversion path
Location Finder
Headline: "Sunrun Home Solar & Battery by State." Subheadline: "Sunrun has empowered over 1 million homes to harness and store renewable power." Interactive SVG map (Raphael 2.1.0) with state-by-state organization. Geographic region groupings (West, Northeast & Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, South). "Get a quote" and "Contact us" CTAs. Phone visible. Clean card-based design.
"1 million homes" stat repeated. "America's #1 provider" claim. State-specific benefit descriptions for each region. No reviews, no credentials, no portfolio on this page. The page is a navigation utility — functional but trust-thin.
Full lead capture form on page with zip code input ("Enter your location"). Fields: First Name, Last Name, Address, Email, ZIP Code, Phone, Homeownership Status. TCPA compliance. "Get a free personalized quote" CTA. Form visible on page (5/5). 7 fields (2/5). Phone + form (4/5). CTA is benefit-oriented (4/5).
SVG map responsive but may be difficult to interact with on small screens. State cards work well on mobile. Phone in header with click-to-call. Clean hamburger nav. Zip code input accessible.
Title: "Sunrun Home Solar & Battery States \
Consistent site-wide styles. Navy/cream color scheme maintains contrast. Text sizing adequate. Map accessibility unknown for screen readers.
Zip code input form directly on the page — reduces friction vs. map-only discovery
Full lead capture form embedded — user can convert without leaving the page
Geographic region groupings with state-specific benefit descriptions
14 states + D.C. coverage clearly communicated
Phone always visible in header
TCPA-compliant form disclosures
SVG map (Raphael 2.1.0) is dated technology — may not render well on all devices
No list/search view alongside map for quick state lookup
7-field form is above ideal (3–5 fields for contractor sites)
No reviews or trust signals specific to this page
No credentials or certification badges
State cards lack review counts or ratings per state
Location Page — California
Title: "Solar Panels California \
Customer testimonial carousel with star ratings (observed in swiper component). BBB link in schema. Founded 2007 reference. FAQ with 5 California-specific questions. No local Google reviews (0/5 — national aggregate only, partial credit 2/5). No credentials/certifications specific to California operations. No local team or office photos. No before/after gallery of California installations.
Form present mid-page with multiple fields (name, email, phone, address, plan preference radio). TCPA disclosure. Form below fold (3/5). CTA appears generic — "Submit" style (3/5). Phone + form = adequate multi-channel (4/5).
Responsive image grid layouts with 4:3 aspect ratios. Mobile-first design. Phone tappable in header. Form fields properly sized. Professional mobile layout.
Strong California-specific content: NEM 3.0 policy, PG&E rate increases ($32.50/month avg, Jan 2024), 70% solar credit reduction, California climate advantages. Estimated 3,000+ words. FAQPage schema with 5 Q&A items. Organization schema. No city-specific pages linked. No LocalBusiness schema for California operations. CWV: estimated borderline (React SPA).
Professional responsive images with CDN delivery. Color scheme maintains navy/cream contrast. Some text overlays on images may reduce readability. Text sizing appears adequate.
Strong California-specific content — NEM 3.0 policy, PG&E rate increases, incentive programs
3,000+ words of localized content demonstrates expertise
Customer testimonial carousel with star ratings
FAQ section with 5 California-relevant questions
FAQPage schema for SERP features
Professional visual design with responsive image grids
No local phone number — only national (833) 324-5886
No local office address or team photos for California operations
No embedded Google reviews from California customers
No before/after gallery of California installations
No city-specific sub-pages linked (Oakland page exists but isn't surfaced)
No local credentials (CSLB license number, NABCEP certification)
No pricing guidance despite $22,588 avg system cost in California being public data (EnergySage 2026)
"Submit" style CTA instead of benefit-driven conversion language
Primary Service Page — Solar Panels
Title: "Solar Panels Installation \
"24/7 proactive monitoring and free maintenance" warranty promise. Factory warranties on panels and equipment. Trustpilot and BBB referenced in schema. No embedded star ratings on page (1/5). No credentials/certifications visible (2/4). No before/after gallery (0/4). No team (0/2).
Form present with 8–10 fields including payment preference radio buttons (1/5 for field count). TCPA consent disclosure. CTA appears generic (3/5). Phone + form = adequate (4/5). Form present on page (3/5).
Responsive layouts with multiple breakpoints. Professional mobile design. Phone accessible. Form fields properly sized. Clean mobile navigation.
2,000–3,000 words of educational content. Technical specifications: solar panels, inverters, meters, monitoring. FAQPage schema with 3 Q&A items ("How do solar panel systems work?", "Do home solar panels have a warranty?", "What does the solar panel installation process look like?"). Installation process explanation. No pricing guidance. No local SEO signals (appropriate for national service page). CWV: estimated borderline.
Warm neutral backgrounds (#FFFBF0, #FFFCF5) with dark text — good contrast. Text sizing adequate. Image alt text appears present. Professional readability.
Strong educational content depth — technical specifications, installation process, system components
FAQ schema with relevant homeowner questions
"24/7 proactive monitoring and free maintenance" — strong warranty messaging
Factory warranties referenced — addresses durability concerns
Professional visual design with responsive image layouts
LeadID and TrustedForm integration for lead quality
8–10 form fields is excessive — well above the 3–5 field ideal
No embedded reviews or star ratings on the service page
No before/after gallery of completed installations
No pricing guidance — the average California system costs $22,588 (EnergySage 2026), and "how much do solar panels cost" is a top organic query
No customer testimonials on the service page
Educational tone prioritizes "how it works" over "what you get" — misses conversion opportunity
No competitive differentiation vs. Tesla, SunPower, or local installers
No mention of financing terms (lease monthly cost, PPA rates) despite this being Sunrun's key differentiator
Lead Capture / Go Solar
Title: "Solar Quote \
Three benefit callouts above form: "cutting edge solar and storage system," outage protection, "over 1 million customers." No BBB badge. No credentials. No star ratings. No guarantee. No testimonials adjacent to form. Minimal trust at conversion point.
Form immediately visible — zero scroll required (5/5). 7 fields: First Name, Last Name, Address, Email, ZIP Code, Phone, Homeownership radio (2/5). "Get a quote" CTA — functional but generic (3/5). Phone + form = adequate (4/5). Post-submission: "a solar advisor will be calling you soon" — basic expectation setting.
Clean mobile layout. Form fields responsive. "Get a quote" button tappable. Phone number in header. Full navigation present (unlike Erie's stripped /free-estimate/).
Title: "Solar Quote \
Gradient background (cream to blue) may create contrast variance across the page. Form labels present. Text sizing standard. Legal/TCPA text readable but small.
Form immediately visible with zero scroll — strong placement
Full navigation maintained — user isn't trapped
"Take control of your energy today" headline speaks to empowerment
Post-submission confirmation sets callback expectation
TCPA-compliant form disclosures properly implemented
Phone number accessible as alternative conversion path
Only three bullet points of content — trust vacuum at conversion point
No BBB badge, no credentials, no star ratings adjacent to form
"Get a quote" is generic — should specify what homeowner receives
7 fields including homeownership radio adds unnecessary friction
No "what happens next" detail beyond "advisor will call"
No guarantee or warranty language at point of commitment
No testimonials or social proof near the form
Title tag repeats "Solar Quote" / "Solar Panel Quote" — poor SEO
No chat widget for alternative conversion
The Conversion Killer
Sunrun is the largest residential solar company in America — 1 million homes, $2.96 billion in revenue, operations in 14 states plus D.C. The brand equity is enormous. The website, however, does not match. At 63/100 Conditional, sunrun.com relies on brand recognition to drive conversions rather than earning trust through its conversion infrastructure. The most glaring gap: not a single star rating, review count, or embedded third-party review appears on the homepage, service page, or lead capture page. For a company with 3,665+ BestCompany reviews and an A+ BBB rating, this is conversion capital sitting in a vault. 97% of consumers read reviews before hiring (BrightLocal 2026), and Sunrun gives them video testimonials with first names instead.
The cost of inaction is concentrated in three areas: the invisible review infrastructure that forces homeowners to leave the site to verify credibility, the 7-field lead form with a homeownership qualifier that adds friction at the conversion point, and the location pages that function as informational templates rather than trust-building local landing pages. For a publicly traded company spending heavily on customer acquisition, these gaps represent leakage on every marketing dollar. The Quick Wins — adding review widgets, shortening the form, and upgrading CTA copy — would take under 2 hours and directly address the trust deficit that 48% of homeowners say is their biggest struggle when hiring contractors (Houzz 2025).
Primary Issue: Zero embedded reviews, star ratings, or third-party social proof on any conversion page — despite having the review volume and BBB rating to display. The site asks homeowners to trust a $25,000–$35,000 purchase decision without showing them what other customers think.
Recommendation: Embed a third-party review widget (BestCompany or Google aggregate) on the homepage hero, the /solar-panels service page, and adjacent to the form on /go-solar. This single change addresses the most damaging trust gap on the site.
Revenue Impact
Conversion Gap Calculation
Step 1 — Traffic Baseline (estimated): Ahrefs estimates sunrun.com receives approximately 166,000 monthly organic visitors in the U.S. (Ahrefs, observed March 2026). Semrush estimates 1.22M total visits. This is a third-party estimate. Actual traffic may vary ±30–50%.
Step 2 — Conversion Benchmarks (published): The average paid search conversion rate for solar contractors is 4.0–6.0% (LocaliQ 2025, 3,200+ campaigns). The average cost-per-lead is $350–$500+. Average residential solar project value in California: $22,588 for a 9.21 kW system (EnergySage 2026). National average project value: $25,000–$35,000.
Step 3 — Conversion Gap Argument (observed): This site has notable conversion infrastructure gaps: - No star ratings or review counts displayed on any page (despite 3,665+ BestCompany reviews) - 7-field lead form with qualification question (homeownership) adds friction - No credentials, certifications, or trust badges on lead capture page - Service page prioritizes education over conversion (no pricing, no testimonials) - Location pages lack local signals (no local phone, no local reviews, no local team) - Generic "Get a quote" CTAs throughout
Based on these gaps, the site is likely converting below the industry average for residential solar.
Step 4 — Financial Range:
Assumptions
| Variable | Value | Source / Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly organic visitors (Ahrefs est.) | 166,000 | |
| Industry CVR for solar | 4.0% – 6.0% (LocaliQ 2025) | |
| Estimated current CVR (below average) | 2.0% – 3.0% | |
| Estimated improved CVR (addressing gaps) | 3.5% – 5.0% | |
| Additional leads per month | 2,490 – 3,320 | |
| Close rate (industry benchmark) | 15% – 25% | |
| Avg project value | $28,000 (midpoint est.) |
Note: These ranges reflect the scale of a national brand with 1 million+ customers and operations in 14 states + D.C. Even a 1% CVR improvement across this traffic volume generates substantial additional revenue. The upper bound assumes all gaps are addressed across all state pages and service pages.
Step 5 — Paid Traffic Argument: Sunrun is a publicly traded company (NASDAQ: RUN) with $2.96 billion in 2025 revenue. At the industry average CPC of $20.00–$55.00 for solar (LocaliQ 2025), paid search campaigns at this scale suggest substantial monthly ad spend. Every paid click hits the same conversion infrastructure gaps: no reviews on landing pages, 7-field forms, no trust signals at conversion point. Fixing the website's conversion infrastructure improves ROI on every advertising dollar already being spent.
⚠ These revenue figures are our projections based on third-party traffic estimates and industry benchmark conversion rates. Actual results depend on implementation quality, seasonal demand, market coverage, and sales team close rates. These figures represent accessible opportunity from existing traffic — not guaranteed outcomes.
Strengths, Vulnerabilities, and Competitive Position
National Brand vs. Local Competitors
Strengths:
- "#1 Home Storage and Solar Power Company" positioning — strong brand claim
- 1 million+ homes served — unmatched scale in residential solar
- Publicly traded (NASDAQ: RUN) with $2.96B revenue — financial stability signal
- Multi-step form with LeadID and TrustedForm — sophisticated lead quality infrastructure
- Professional visual design with consistent brand system across all pages
- Zip code lookup on location finder — faster path to conversion than map-only designs
- TCPA-compliant form disclosures — proper legal infrastructure
- No star ratings or review counts displayed anywhere on the site — local competitors with embedded Google reviews convert higher
- Trustpilot 1.6 stars and PissedConsumer 1.5 stars are discoverable by any homeowner researching alternatives
- Connecticut AG lawsuit (2024) for deceptive sales practices creates brand liability
- 7-field forms with homeownership qualifier add friction that local competitors avoid with 3-field forms
- No pricing transparency — local competitors publishing cost ranges capture "how much" search traffic
- Location pages lack local depth — a California local installer with CSLB license, local reviews, and before/after photos creates stronger trust signals
- No chat widget — competitors offering instant chat capture leads that Sunrun's form-only approach misses
- Service page education-first approach misses conversion opportunity — local competitors lead with outcome, not explanation
- 60–180 day solar sales cycle means every friction point compounds over multiple return visits
The Summary
Sunrun scores 66/100 on the Fervor Grade™ National Framework — Grade C, Conditional. The website has conversion gaps that cost real leads. Brand recognition is carrying visitors past friction points that would otherwise push them to a competitor.
Weighted Brand Score Calculation
| Page | Raw Score | Weight | Weighted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homepage | 68/100 | ×0.15 | 10.20 |
| Location Finder | 66/100 | ×0.20 | 13.20 |
| Location Page | 63/100 | ×0.30 | 18.90 |
| Service Page | 61/100 | ×0.20 | 12.20 |
| Lead Capture | 55/100 | ×0.15 | 8.25 |
| Overall Weighted Brand Score | 66 / 100 | ||
Modifiers Applied
| Modifier ID | Name | Trigger | Score Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| M-CS-02 | Solar Form Allowance | Residential solar installation | 5–8 form fields acceptable, qualification fields not penalized |
| M-CS-08 | Considered Purchase | 60–180 day sales cycle | Design consultation CTAs valid |
Raw Score (v2.0, no modifiers): 63/100
Modified Score (v2.5): 66/100
Net Modifier Impact: +3 points (within +12 cap)
Data Confidence Statement
Observed with certainty: All 5 pages fetched and content documented, page structure and form fields verified, phone number (833) 324-5886 confirmed visible across pages, reviews verified across Trustpilot (1.6 stars), BBB (A+ rating), BestCompany (3,665 reviews), ConsumerAffairs, SolarReviews, and EcoWatch. Schema markup (Organization + FAQPage) confirmed. No chat widget detected. Video testimonials confirmed on reviews page. TCPA-compliant form disclosures present.
Estimated with published benchmarks: Monthly organic traffic (~166K from Ahrefs, ±30–50%), industry CPC/CVR/CPL from LocaliQ 2025 (3,200+ campaigns), average project values from EnergySage 2026. Core Web Vitals estimated from React SPA architecture and CDN delivery (Frontify). Actual conversion rate, ad spend, lead volume, and close rate are unknown in non-client audits.