Sunpower are releasing new, cheaper solar panels in 2016. Hooray!
When SunPower talks, the solar market listens. This was the case this week as one of the globe’s leading PV manufacturers released their new line of SunPower solar panels. The company also gave financial forecasts for 2016, when it expects to “achieve revenue of $3.3 billion to $3.5 billion and gigawatts deployed in the range of 1.7 GW to 2.0 GW”.
Known as the “Performance Series”, the new line of panels aims to continue the company’s fine tradition of word’s best efficiency, combined with reliability and a proper 25 year manufacturers warranty (read this to know why the 25 year Sunpower manufacturer’s warranty is a big deal ).
Tom Werner, president and CEO of the California-based company came out with this marketing spiel:
“Our new line of Performance Series products continue the SunPower tradition of higher efficiency, superior reliability and enhanced aesthetics compared with conventional panels, all in a lower priced product configuration,” said Werner. “Together with our best-in-class E-Series and X-Series back-contact panels, we are expanding our product line to offer customers a wider range of product choice and increase our reach to additional markets, further enhancing company growth.”
(Finn’s translation: “We are bringing out some efficient and good-looking panels that will be a little cheaper than the current models. Hopefully this means we’ll sell more panels because you won’t need to sell your grandmother to afford them.”)
The slightly cheaper Sunpower panels will be available in 2016 in all three of the company’s market segments: residential, commercial and solar power plants.
Described by SolarQuotes founder Finn Peacock as the “Rolls Royce” of solar panels, SunPower solar panels are already the benchmark for other solar panel manufacturers, in terms of performance and reliability.
However the new range of solar panels go one step further. They are designed using new technology acquired in SunPower’s takeover of the California-based innovative cell manufacturer Cogenra Solar. Central to the Performance Series solar panel is a combination of Cogenra’s “innovative cell technology” and SunPower’s “extensive solar panel intellectual property, manufacturing experience and scale,” according to Werner.
The bottom line? Sunpower claim the Performance Series will deliver up to fifteen percent more power than conventional solar panels with better shade tolerance and improved reliability.
Further eye-watering detail of the new Performance Series solar panel specifications is available from SunPower here.
Would you consider buying the new SunPower solar panels for your house or business? What benefits/drawbacks do you see with the Performance Series?
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Is Sunpower banking on the fact that if it ever has to replace its panels under warranty in 24 years time. The manufacture of said equivalent replacement panel will be so cheap it makes sense to charge a premium now and offer an unbeatable warranty.
This website was a godsend for us. We had numerous visits from high-pressure dodgy solar salesmen who warned us that the solar rebate was within weeks of disappearing, and that we needed to sign on the dotted line straight away. Fortunately we resisted and Solar Quotes directed us to a reliable, honest installer. We ended up with the best value (as opposed to the cheapest) solar system.
Thank you