Can you introduce Maxeon Solar Technologies and its SunPower products?
Maxeon Solar Technologies was born in 2020 from the separation of the US branch of SunPower Corporation, which chose to pursue a purely commercial destiny in the North American market. Maxeon Solar Technologies is thus the repository of 37 years of experience in research and development and industrial development in the photovoltaic field.
Our technology is the companion of all solar pioneers. We think of the first solar-powered ship to circumnavigate the world in 2012, the first solar-powered plane to do the same a few years later, and many others. All the records of the last 40 years have been achieved with our technology. We manufacture in our own factories and market globally our two main lines of photovoltaic modules: SunPower Maxeon and SunPower Performance.
Innovation is at the heart of our DNA and beyond this range, we have most recently become the world leaders in panel-AC. This panel is equipped with its own microinverter capable of producing its own alternating current, a product acclaimed by French installers for its ease of installation and by customers for the performance it offers.
Building on this success, our long experience and our knowledge of the energy sector, we are preparing to launch SunPower One, a complete ecosystem of products and services that will be capable of satisfying the growing needs of final consumers: needs for autonomy, control of their budget and consumption, and security of supply. This all-in-one solution includes solar power, battery, electric car charger, plus highly innovative software to control energy production and support greater energy sobriety.
Who are your solar solutions for?
To all. Our range of products is very wide and is suitable for residential, commercial and industrial installations. From the “small” 3KWp installation placed on the roof of a house, to large ground installations that feed the network, we are present in all market segments with products adapted to the specificities of each one. Additionally, while we have a reputation for providing the highest quality products, a SunPower installation remains affordable for all budgets. It is a strong commitment of our company: to provide access to clean and reliable energy to as many people as possible.
How efficient are your solar panels?
Our performances are among the highest in the market and we should reach the coveted threshold of 23% efficiency in a panel by 2023. Beyond initial performance, Maxeon module technology is also distinguished by its very low degradation coefficient, in around 0.2% per year, where the industry average is around 0.5%. This means that a SunPower Maxeon panel will not only produce more as soon as it is installed, but the gap to competitive products will widen over time.
Sunpower warranties attest to this: 40 year product guarantee, and the guarantee of a residual yield of 88% at this maturity. This is much better than any other product on the market, whose guarantees rarely exceed 25 years, and the performance promises are of the order of 82% in this much shorter horizon.
What sets you apart in the solar panel market?
We have just mentioned the performance and very low deterioration over time of our panels. Other factors contribute in particular to better performance of our photovoltaic cells and our SunPower panels: better temperature coefficients, the cells’ ability to operate in a broader light spectrum and therefore to capture light earlier in the day. in the morning, later in the evening, and in cloudy weather, etc.
Another important element: reliability. We have been manufacturing our panels ourselves for almost 40 years, with very demanding manufacturing standards. Maxeon technology is inherently more robust than common technologies on the market and eliminates the main causes of PV module failure: microcracks, “hot spots”, corrosion and breakage of connection bridges. Our studies indicate that failure and return rates on Sunpower Maxeon panels are 100 times lower than the market averageand we have a long history to prove it.
And finally, our success in the market is closely linked to that of our network of certified installers that we have deployed in Europe for almost 20 years. These SunPower partners are knowledgeable and trusted partners whom we continually train and evaluate for performance. By joining Sunpower’s association program, these installers agree to be part of our rigorous after-sales service policy.
If I have to summarize, what distinguishes the SunPower brand in the market is the total peace of mind that we want to offer our customers – State-of-the-art technology, unmatched reliability, and professional, available installers.
What are your ESG commitments?
Maxeon’s commitment to ecological and socially responsible practices is comprehensive and longstanding. The challenges of sustainable development accompany us daily. We adhered to the United Nations Global Compact in 2020. This Pact asks companies, for example, to align their strategies and operations with the 17 universal principles related to human rights, labor, the environment and the fight against corruption.
By linking our sustainability strategy to a global ESG platform, we can have an even greater impact in the communities we serve. This commitment is directly inspired by our corporate objective, called Driving positive change.
Returning to our products, our commitment is clear : offering the cleanest solar panels on the market. This approach allowed us to acquire several steps ahead. Our products are designed sustainably and are part of a circular economy logic. As such, we were the first manufacturer to receive the coveted Cradle-to-Cradle certification and are still one of the few manufacturers to do so today. We are also proud to have been one of the founding members of PV Cycle in 2007, the European reference organization for the recycling of photovoltaic modules. The list of awards and certifications is still very long and there is not enough space here to detail and explain them all.
Finally, it is impossible to talk about ESG aspects without mentioning a crucial issue for the entire photovoltaic industry: material traceability, components and service providers involved in the production chain and transparency regarding them. A dimension in which, here too, we stand out and want to excel.
This content was produced with SCRIBEO. The BFMBUSINESS editorial team was not involved in the production of this content.
Source: BFM TV
