SunPower Unveils Third-generation Performance Panel Technology

This blog is authored by Josh Moore, Director of Product Management for SunPower Corporation.

SunPower's recently announced third-generation Performance 3 panel represents the latest chapter in a legacy of innovation. We've now been manufacturing shingled cell panels at commercial scale longer than anyone else in the industry—continuing to refine product design and performance along the way, while many competitors are just getting started with shingled cell technology.

Performance panels are part of SunPower's comprehensive product portfolio, adeptly complementing our Maxeon panel line, SunPower's most premium solar panel technology with the highest efficiency available on the market today1 Based on datasheet review of websites of top 20 manufacturers per IHS, as of May, 2019. . Performance panels provide customers a wider range of product choice, while reaching new market segments where Maxeon technology may not be readily accessible.

Performance 3 offers enhanced warranty terms, with gains in power and efficiency over the previous generation of Performance panels. Available in markets outside the United States, customers can now begin working with their distributor or SunPower authorized installer to incorporate the Performance 3 panel into their installations.

What's new and exciting about this latest generation of Performance panels?

The Performance 3 panel provides an upgraded warranty over previous product generations, delivering at least 97.5% of nameplate power in year one, followed by an annual degradation rate of no more than 0.5% through year 25 of operation. The result? More warranted power over the course of the next 25 years. In addition, Performance 3 panels continue to be backed by the SunPower Complete Confidence Panel Warranty, providing comprehensive 25-year coverage for residential and commercial panels2 The following applies only to Australia: The rights and remedies conferred under SunPower's warranty are in addition to, and do not exclude or limit, any rights and remedies available to consumers under the Australian Consumer Law. Consumers are entitled to a replacement or refund for a major failure, and compensation for any reasonably foreseeable loss or damage. Consumers are also entitled to have the goods repaired or replaced if they fail to be of acceptable quality and the failure does not amount to a major failure. .

	SunPower® Complete Confidence Panel Warranty
Product			Conventional Solar Panel Warranties2 The following applies only to Australia: The rights and remedies conferred under SunPower's warranty are in addition to, and do not exclude or limit, any rights and remedies available to consumers under the Australian Consumer Law. Consumers are entitled to a replacement or refund for a major failure, and compensation for any reasonably foreseeable loss or damage. Consumers are also entitled to have the goods repaired or replaced if they fail to be of acceptable quality and the failure does not amount to a major failure.
Panel	25 Years	25 Years	10 Years
Power
Year 0	97.5%	97%	97.5%
Yearly decline	0.5%	0.6%	0.7%
Year 25	85.5%	82.6%	80.7%
Service3 Service applicable only to PV Module originally installed in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain or the United Kingdom.
Shipping–old panel	Yes	Yes	No4 Reimbursed if claim is deemed valid by manufacturer.
Shipping–new panel	Yes	Yes	No5 Shipping new part covered by some conventional warranties.
Installation–new panel6 Repair, replacement or reimbursement will be at SunPower's sole discretion. Warranty service availability may vary from country to country. Ask your installer for full warranty information at the time of purchase or check our website: sunpower.com.	Yes	Yes	No

SunPower Performance 3 panels also leverage larger, full square cells to deliver increased power and efficiency over previous generation Performance panels. When you add in the trusted durability that comes with engineering panels to better stand up to environmental stresses such as daily temperature swings, shading and high humidity, Performance panels can generate up to 8% more energy from the same space over 25 years compared to conventional mono PERC panels.7 SunPower 425 W, 20.6% efficient, compared to a Conventional Panel on same-sized arrays (370 W mono PERC, 19% efficient, approx. 1.94 m²), 0.25%/yr slower degradation rate (Jordan, et. al. Robust PV Degradation Methodology and Application. PVSC 2018).

We've also introduced a drainage notch to the commercial Performance 3 panel to help mitigate moisture accumulation and dirt build-up along frame edges, optimizing surface runoff for higher energy yield.

And for residential installers, the Performance 3 panel offers a thinner, lighter-weight frame that increases pallet size for streamlined shipping and easier installation (18.7 kg vs 18.1 kg).

Leading the way

SunPower has now deployed more than 2.0 GW of shingled cell solar panels to date, making SunPower Performance technology the most deployed shingled cell panel in the industry.

Performance 3 continues to employ the same materials and manufacturing processes from previous product generations. This proven recipe for reliability has been validated by Top Performer honors in the PVEL PV Module Reliability Scorecard.

In addition, SunPower innovation continues to strengthen our technology advantage in the form of intellectual property (IP). SunPower now holds more than 60 patents worldwide covering cell and panel design, as well as the manufacturing tools and processes surrounding our Performance panels. A 2019 IHS report identified SunPower's intellectual property as contributing to our shingled cell panels having the highest technology barriers to entry among all existing advanced module technologies.8 IHS Markit – PV Module Intelligence Service. PV Module Advance Technologies Report –2019.  Since customers, importers and distributors can be liable for patent infringement, buying products from a company, like SunPower, that has a strong patent portfolio helps mitigate the risk of infringement. Protecting our technology advantage is critical to protecting our customers' investment.

Learn more about SunPower Performance Panels.