SunPower’s 400+ W Residential Solar Panels

• SunPower has introduced its solar panels with 400-watt and 415-watt capacity targeting the residential solar business in the US
• These are the first solar panels for which SunPower has used NGT and calls these A-Series panels
• Built using fifth-generation Maxeon Gen 5 solar cells, the panels are 65% larger than previous generations of solar cells
• SunPower says these deliver 60% more energy in the same amount of roof space over the first 25 years compared to conventional solar

American solar module company SunPower has launched its most powerful product yet for the residential solar market of the US, with over 400 W capacity. It is the company's first solar panels using its Next Generation Technology (NGT). Called A-Series, the products come with nominal power of 400 W and 415 W, which SunPower claims are the 'most powerful residential solar panels in the world'.

While 400 W and 415 W capacity panels will be available for homeowners in America, in Europe and Australian markets, the Maxeon 3 solar panels are available at 400 W for the same market segment.

For its A-Series panels, SunPower uses its fifth-generation Maxeon solar cells called Gen 5, which it says were perfected at its Silicon Valley Research Facility resulting into a 65% larger cell than previous generations. The new cells have 6-inch dimensions, the old generation comes with 5 inches. SunPower has paired Maxeon Gen 5 solar cell panels with a factory-integrated microinverter; the product is designed to deliver 60% more energy on the same roof space over 25 years compared to conventional solar panels, says SunPower.

"SunPower is introducing the world's first 400 W residential solar panels as most in the industry are just crossing the 300 W threshold for home solar," said Jeff Waters, CEO of the SunPower Technologies business unit. "SunPower solar panels are designed to maximize power production and energy savings for our customers, and we're only scratching the surface of what's possible in home solar," added Waters.

During its Q4/2018 and 2018 financial results announcement, SunPower said it is looking for a strategic partner to fund its expansion for NGT production to around 1.8 GW. In the view of analysts from investment bank Cowen, without NGT panels, SunPower may have a tough time in the domestic market post 2021 when tariffs go away and competitive pricing intensifies (see Production Expansion On SunPower's Mind In 2019).

However, in TaiyangNews' Advanced Solar Module Technology Report 2018, even SunPower's old gen 60-cell modules showed the highest power rating at 370 W and a module efficiency of 22.7% as the base are back contact cells with efficiencies of up to 24.3%.