Maxeon Solar raises the bar with warranty of 40 Years On IBC Panels

Headquartered in Singapore, Maxeon Solar Technologies has announced the launch of “the solar industry’s longest and most comprehensive combined warranty” on its Maxeon Interdigitated Back Contact (IBC) product line, which is sold in most countries outside the US and Canada under the SunPower Maxeon brand.

Effective for systems installed on or after January 1, 2022, the new ‘SunPower Maxeon 40 Year Warranty’ covers product quality, power performance and services for all residential and commercial customers in select markets in EMEA as well as Australia, Japan, and Mexico for a period of 40 years.

According to the company, while most solar panel warranties provide 12 years of coverage on products paired with a 25-year performance (power) warranty, the new 40/40 warranty from Maxeon includes 40-year coverage for defects related to workmanship and materials, power output protection, and the servicing needed to repair or replace defective panels in select markets.

The new SunPower Maxeon 40 Year Warranty is reportedly based on external field studies from more than 33 million IBC panels deployed worldwide, comprehensive accelerated life testing by Maxeon and third parties, and a physics-based model which Maxeon uses to determine the expected performance impact over time from major degradation and failure modes.

Collectively, these give Maxeon and our customers confidence that the SunPower Maxeon module technology can support a 40-year warranted life, and that continued operation beyond this period is certainly feasible, claims the company.

“We have spent more than 35 years refining the patented cell and panel design of our IBC technology and that has provided the confidence that our panels will last for more than 40 years in the field. This exciting step is part of our promise to customers that our panel technology will be the best value, longest lasting and most sustainable choice in the industry. This is what we call Solar for Life,” said Jeff Waters, CEO of Maxeon Solar Technologies.

To achieve a lifespan of this length, 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, explains Maxeon.

Additionally, longer operating life means that significantly more clean energy is generated by each panel, greatly improving the environmental footprint of the technology.

Eligibility and terms for the new warranty vary by market and are subject to registration on Maxeon’s website. The new warranty applies to current and future Maxeon IBC solar products, including the new Maxeon 6 solar panel which is scheduled to launch globally in mid Q2 2022.