SunPower and Norway-based REC Group have signed a joint development agreement to co-develop high-wattage, frameless bifacial solar panels for the residential market
The first product, the Monolith solar panel, officially named the REC Alpha Pure-TX 470 W, is a solid-black module weighing 50 pounds and is already in production
The panel will later be upgraded to a bifacial design, which is expected to increase its output to more than 500 W
US residential solar installer SunPower and Norway-based PV manufacturer REC Group have entered a joint development agreement (JDA) to produce high-wattage, frameless bifacial solar panels. The partnership has launched the new Monolith solar panel as the 1st product co-developed under the agreement.
Producing 470 W under standard test conditions, Monolith weighs 50 pounds, following the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guideline of limiting residential panel weight to 50 pounds (~22.7 kg). It is a solid-black panel. The Monolith module is officially named REC Alpha Pure-TX 470 W panel. It is currently under production.
It will next be upgraded to bifacial, boosting its output to exceed 500 W.
“The new 470-watt panel and the 500-plus watt bifacial solar panel are engineered to deliver superior system performance and maximize long-term energy production, even under the most demanding environmental conditions,” said SunPower Executive Vice President of Quality, Engineering and Customer Access, Surinder S. Bedi.
REC will be the manufacturing partner under this agreement, but the official statement does not specify the production details or timeline. SunPower Chairman and CEO T.J. Rodgers called REC the current US residential solar panel industry volume leader.
“SunPower has exclusive rights to the officially named REC Alpha Pure-TX 470W panel, which is in production now. Our next step will be to upgrade it to become ‘bifacial,’ that is to be able to collect light from both sides – a feat SunPower demonstrated on the NASA Helios solar-powered airplane in 2001 – that will raise the Monolith output power to over 500 watts,” added Rodgers.
Once a formidable name in the solar PV manufacturing industry, SunPower strategically spun off its manufacturing business under Maxeon Solar Technologies, headquartered in Singapore, shifting its focus to only distributed generation. Following its bankruptcy in 2024, its assets were acquired by Complete Solaria, which rebranded as SunPower, retaining the renowned brand name (see SunPower To Return, As Complete Solaria Announces Rebranding).
