Technology

IBC Solar Panels With Impressive 40-Year Warranty

Maxeon Solar Offers 40-Year Product, Power & Service Warranty For IBC Solar Modules

Anu Bhambhani
  • Maxeon Solar has announced it will offer 40-year warranty on its IBC product line covering product quality, power performance and services
  • The panels will deliver minimum warranted output of 98% during 1st year of operation, and 3% warranted power level at the end of 40 years
  • It will be available for residential and commercial customers in select markets in EMEA, Australia, Japan and Mexico

Singapore headquartered solar module maker Maxeon Solar Technologies says it will offer 40-year warranty for product quality, power performance and services for Maxeon Interdigitated Back Contact (IBC) solar modules calling it the industry's 'longest and most comprehensive combined warranty'.

It sure is a big one from Maxeon especially since it covers power performance which for most solar panels is offered for 25 years with 12 years for products. In the meantime, glass-glass covered modules are generally offered with 30 year performance warranties, but there is no other commercial standard module product offered with 40 years so far. Maxeon says the 40-year coverage includes defects related to workmanship and materials, power output protection and servicing needed to repair and replace defective panels in select markets.

The manufacturer explained that the products covered under the same will come with a minimum warranted output of 98% during the 1st year of operation, followed by a maximum annual degradation of 0.25% for the next 39 years.

"The result is an unprecedented 88.3% warranted power level at the end of 40 years, meaning Maxeon IBC panels deliver up to 9.5% more power after 40 years than standard solar panels deliver after 25 years," added the company.

It further adds, "To achieve this extraordinary lifespan, the core technology behind Maxeon's patented IBC cell and panel designs include fundamental design differences which eliminate typical solar module failure modes – such as hotspots and cell interconnection failures – delivering robust protection against environmental stresses and wide-ranging climates while maximizing reliability and energy density."

Maxeon, a spin off from US headquartered SunPower, said the 40/40 warranty will be offered for residential and commercial customers in select markets in EMEA, Australia, Japan and Mexico for systems installed on or after January 1, 2022. It will be applicable to current and future Maxeon IBC solar products, sold outside the US and Canada under SunPower Maxeon brand, including new Maxeon 6 solar panel that the company will launch in mid Q2/2022.

The company continues to offer 25-year warranty for its value-line SunPower Performance panels, as per its website.