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PV solar panels are like puzzles made of tiny solar cells, enclosed in glass. These cells are made of silicon, a bit like computer chips. They have a positive part and a negative part that work together to make electricity, kind of like a battery. SunPower solar panels also have special adhesives and coatings to protect these cells and keep them working well even in different weather conditions.

SunPower Maxeon Series:

Distinguishing Features: The Maxeon Panel series is known for its industry-leading efficiency, 40 year warranty and durability. It features SunPower's Maxeon solar cell technology, which uses a solid copper foundation for enhanced reliability and performance.

Benefits: These panels offer high efficiency, low degradation rates, and exceptional long-term energy production. They are suitable for residential and commercial installations where space is limited, and maximum energy generation is desired.

SunPower Performance Series:

Distinguishing Features: The Sunpower Performance Panel series provides a balance of efficiency and value. While slightly less efficient than the Maxeon series, these panels still offer good performance and quality. They use high efficiency mono PERC cells, as opposed to SunPower's proprietary back contact technology developed for our Maxeon panels.

Benefits: These panels are a cost-effective choice for homeowners and businesses looking for reliable solar power generation without the premium price tag. They are a practical option for a wide range of applications.

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 residential and commercial panels are backed by a 25-year limited Combined Power and Product Warranty.

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 warranty. 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. 

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.

SunPower® Performance solar panels use high efficiency mono PERC cells, while Maxeon panels use SunPower's proprietary back contact technology developed for our Maxeon panels.