Help Centre for Homeowners

A SunPower Maxeon solar panel can provide up to 85% more energy over its lifetime1 Power output varies by installation and location. Please consult your installer partner about expected output for the life of your system.  compared to other panels. It has a strong power output advantage from day one and maintains that power advantage over time with a .2% annual degradation rate. With its industry-leading 40-year warranty, this panel will grow in value over time.

In single-phase, 10 microinverters can be connected. In a three-phase installation, up to 30 microinverters can be connected on a single 20A three phase circuit breaker. Larger systems can be constructed with multiple AC branch circuits.

The average payback period for a solar panel installation can vary based on factors such as location, system size, energy consumption, panel technology and available incentives. On average, payback periods range from 5 to 10 years. This means that after this period, the cumulative savings on energy bills typically offset the initial investment.

There are a variety of key technical differences between SunPower Performance solar panels and Conventional Panels, including the design and layout of the solar cells and the electric architecture—which combine to enhance the reliability, performance and aesthetics of Performance panels.

To go into a bit more technical detail, first, we laser cut each SunPower Performance cell into strips and layer them in a shingled configuration to create a ‘hypercell’. This shingled hypercell allows us to fit more active cell area into each panel, boosting power and efficiency. Second, Performance cells are connected with a flexible joint interconnection to offer multiple and redundant paths for energy flow. This allows us to remove the front contact conductive ribbons and solder bonds found in conventional cells that can block active cell area and deteriorate over time, leading to cell failures and power deficits. Finally, SunPower Performance panels feature a unique parallel circuit architecture that significantly limits power loss in shade and soiling. The result is a superior shingled panel constructed with commodity cells, outperforming conventional panels in efficiency, performance and reliability.

SunPower Maxeon panels also deliver greater peace of mind, having earned the trust of experts by being more reliable and durable - and backed by our industry-leading Complete Confidence Warranty. Not only is this warranty stronger, but unlike most conventional warranties, it is based on actual field-testing data. For example, the power warranty promises no more than a 0.25%/ year power drop. This is backed by a study of more than 230MW across 149 actual global sites using a methodology developed in collaboration with NREL. We also know from actual field data that only 0.005% or 1 in 20,000 SunPower Maxeon panels have been returned under warranty4 .Lastly, SunPower Maxeon panels are built with our customers in mind, which means higher sustainability standards and more elegant design aesthetics than Conventional Panels. SunPower Maxeon panels have pioneered sustainability efforts in solar manufacturing, and have been recognized with the prestigious Cradle to Cradle Certified™ designation for direct current (DC) panels. The Cradle to Cradle designation demonstrates the products' quality based on rankings of material health, material reutilization, renewable energy use, water stewardship, and social fairness.

SunPower Maxeon panels were also the first solar panel to disclose its ingredients through the Declare label. In March 2020, our Mexicali, Mexico manufacturing facility was re-certified by NSF Sustainability as Zero Waste to Landfill – and remains the only solar panel manufacturing facility to achieve this. The certification means that this facility diverts more than 99% of its waste, with 1% or less going to landfills.

The back-contact cell design of SunPower Maxeon panels also delivers an uncluttered and elegant design aesthetic – with panels available in black and white backsheets. This has made SunPower Maxeon panels the panel of choice for architects and designers.

We built the Performance solar panels for high reliability, high efficiency and low degradation—driving an estimated 8% more energy yield in a fixed space over the first 30 years of operation when compared to Conventional mono PERC Panels1.