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Source: Which Solar Panels are the Most Efficient? | SunPower Solar Blog
Most homeowners have limited space on their roofs or in their yards to set up a photovoltaic (PV) solar system. In a word, they're looking for efficiency: How can they get the most kilowatt hours out of the fewest panels?
In a word, SunPower.
SunPower's solar panels are widely acknowledged to be the industry's most efficient1 with an ability to convert the most sunlight into usable energy. But the benefit for homeowners goes beyond SunPower’s solar panel technology. While other solar companies are hooked up to hybrid systems that use parts from several different companies, SunPower's panels are linked to integrated systems designed solely by their own manufacturers to absorb more light for more power.
Here's a quick look at what makes SunPower® panels the industry's most powerful solar panels:(1)
Technology: SunPower's ability to create maximum energy starts with the ultra-pure silicon used to make anti-reflective glass, that in turn, soaks up sunlight and provides a sleek aesthetic homeowners seek. The anti-reflective glass in most SunPower panels allows the light that enters to bounce back into the panel and harvest as much power as possible. It is important to note that the panels don't just rely on visible light – the light we see – they also collect more infrared and ultraviolet light than any other solar panel in the market. As a result, SunPower panels generate more power than other panels, even on cloudy days. SunPower also uses intra-digitated back contact technology where all of the wires that carry the electricity from each cell in the solar panel are placed onto the back. That helps prevent power loss due to shading.
Durability: Durability can be defined as long-term efficiency. All solar panels produce slightly less energy over time. The industry standard is about 0.8 percent each year, but SunPower offers panels with a loss rate of 0.3 percent each year. That's because SunPower panels are built on a solid copper foundation that helps them operate more efficiently, even after prolonged exposure to wind, rain, snow and other types of weathering. The strong copper backing on the Maxeon® solar cell technology combined with ultra-pure silicon and a light-trapping glass surface, makes SunPower Maxeon panels 30 percent more efficient at generating energy than conventional panels. That's why SunPower can offer the most comprehensive system warranty in the solar industry.
Company stability: SunPower leads the industry in efficiency because it's been both a global innovator in solar technology, as well as, a top installer of PV solar systems for both homes and businesses. Every part of a SunPower system, down to the last wire, is designed to work together by one company. This year, SunPower starts a new chapter with its research arm, Maxeon Solar Technology. This strategic partnership between Maxeon Solar and SunPower will lead to homeowners receiving top solar panel efficiency in a comprehensive system designed by a single source, along with SunPower's industry-leading warranty on both existing and new solar systems.
(1) Highest efficiency panels available: Based on datasheet review of websites of top 20 manufacturers per IHS, as of May, 2019.
Source: What You Need to Know about Solar Storage | SunPower Solar Blog
Homeowners are facing an increasing number of power outages across the United States. Devastating wildfires in California, winter storms in Texas, and an unprecedented Pacific Northwest heat wave all left millions without power over the past year, causing many homeowners to seek out backup power alternatives like clean energy solar + storage solutions.
Homeowners that use traditional electricity experienced over eight hours of power interruptions in 2020, more than double the amount in 2013, according to a recent review of federal data by The Wall Street Journal. These events are expected to increase as the effects of climate change put added stress on an aging grid infrastructure.
Powering through Outages
The once-in-a-season storm outage is to be expected, but a growing number of consumers are starting to worry more about the ongoing reliability of their power, according to the most recent SunPower Energy Sense Index.1 This unease is causing many to investigate solar energy and storage as a way to keep the lights on and the refrigerator humming during outages.
As with any innovation, there is much to learn about how solar storage works. So we thought we’d present some frequently asked questions about battery backup systems and SunVault™ Storage, SunPower’s residential solar storage solution.
How does the SunVault battery work?
SunVault charges from your SunPower Equinox® solar system, creating a “perpetual” energy backup system. As your Equinox system produces energy, it sends the electricity you're not using to SunVault Storage and/or sells it back to the electrical grid for a credit on future electric bills.2
With the mySunPower mobile app, you can select how much of the battery you want to use daily for savings and how much to reserve for an outage via different modes of operation:
How much energy does the SunVault system store?
SunVault systems range in capacity, from 13 kWh to 52 kWh. Depending on the capacity that you choose, your system can save up to 52 kWh of energy, with 48 kWh of maximum energy use.4 Expanded storage capacity enables you to back up more energy for emergency use, provide more electricity during an outage, or it can provide more backup power for everyday needs.
Can SunVault save money during peak demand times?
Utility rates are typically lower during the daytime hours, so by storing the energy and then discharging the solar battery in the evening, SunVault enables you to sell your energy back to the utility when the rates are higher. SunVault’s intelligent software monitors your production, home energy use and utility rates to determine which power source to use—maximizing the use of solar power and reducing peak-time charges, where utilities allow it.
How does SunVault know when to go into backup operation?
SunVault is designed to seamlessly transition from utility grid power to backup power when the utility grid falters. This seamless transition can occur as quickly as the blink of an eye. The utility grid is a very dynamic environment where conditions change by the millisecond. SunVault was designed with this in mind and intuitively changes modes based on grid conditions and utility requirements.
Making the Most of Solar Power
Being a self-reliant energy consumer is an exciting prospect. Adding SunVault Storage to your solar system is the perfect way to make the most of the solar energy you produce. And if you haven’t gone solar yet, it’s the perfect time to design a clean-powered system for all your energy needs.