Which Solar Panels are the Most Efficient?

Most homeowners have limited space on their roofs or in their yard to set up a photovoltaic (PV) solar system. In a word, they’re looking for efficiency: How can they get the most kilowatt hours out of the fewest panels?

In a word, SunPower.

SunPower’s solar panels are widely acknowledged to be the industry’s most efficient1, with an ability to convert the most sunlight into usable energy. However, the benefit for homeowners goes beyond SunPower’s solar panel technology. While other solar companies are hooked up to hybrid systems that use parts from several different companies, SunPower’s panels are linked to integrated systems designed solely by their own manufacturers to absorb more light for more power.

Here’s a quick look at what makes SunPower®panels the industry’s most powerful solar panels: 1

Technology: SunPower’s ability to create maximum energy starts with the ultra-pure silicon used to make anti-reflective glass, which in turn, soaks up sunlight and provides a sleek aesthetic homeowners seek. The anti-reflective glass in most SunPower panels allows the light that enters to bounce back into the panel and harvest as much power as possible. It is important to note that the panels don’t just rely on visible light – the light we see – they also collect more infrared and ultraviolet light than any other solar panel in the market. As a result, SunPower panels generate more power than other panels, even on cloudy days. SunPower also uses intra-digitated back contact technology where all of the wires that carry the electricity from each cell in the solar panel are placed onto the back. That helps prevent power loss due to shading.

Durability: Durability can be defined as long-term efficiency. All solar panels produce slightly less energy over time. The industry standard is about 0.8 percent each year, but SunPower offers panels with a loss rate of 0.3 percent each year. That’s because SunPower panels are built on a solid copper foundation that helps them operate more efficiently, even after prolonged exposure to wind, rain, snow, and other types of weathering. The strong copper backing on the Maxeon®solar cell technology, combined with ultra-pure silicon and a light-trapping glass surface, makes SunPower Maxeon panels 30 percent more efficient at generating energy than conventional panels. That’s why SunPower can offer the most comprehensive system warranty in the solar industry.

Company stability: SunPower leads the industry in efficiency because it’s been both a global innovator in solar technology as well as a top installer of PV solar systems for both homes and businesses. Every part of a SunPower system, down to the last wire, is designed to work together by one company. This year, SunPower starts a new chapter with its research arm, Maxeon Solar Technology. This strategic partnership between Maxeon Solar and SunPower will lead to homeowners receiving top solar panel efficiency in a comprehensive system designed by a single source, along with SunPower’s industry-leading warranty on both existing and new solar systems.

Top-notch installation: Every home is oriented to the sun differently, so every solar system is unique. SunPower has created a strong dealer network with the know-how and SunPower equipment to tailor each home’s PV system for maximum efficiency. That network includes Master Dealers, a select group of installers with close ties to their communities. These expert dealers set the industry pace on installation and training, and – most importantly – they know how to build a lasting rapport with customers.

Simply put, SunPower’s super-efficient panels create savings on your electricity over time. That’s especially true of the newly released A-Series panels, which incorporate the best of SunPower’s high-performing, reliable technology into the world’s first ever 400- and 415-watt commercially available residential solar panel. That kind of efficiency not only saves money over the life of the system it also helps reduce the greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.

Find out how much SunPower can save you by installing PV solar on your own home.

1 Highest efficiency panels available: Based on datasheet review of websites of top 20 manufacturers per IHS, as of May 2019.

This post originally appeared on the SunPower Resource Blog.