How Good Are SunPower Maxeon Solar Panels?

Review: SunPower Solar Panels

SunPower is a leading solar panel manufacturer which started back in 1985. It owns and operates Maxeon Solar Technologies (as of 2020). Leading products (which we'll review below) include their Maxeon 3 and Performance 7 solar panels. 

They're best known for their industry leading 40-year warranty on their Maxeon units. However, that comes at a price given they're typically twice the cost of other leading brands in the industry. 

Below we'll review in detail how much SunPower solar panel systems cost, as well as reviewing their 2 most popular residential products; the Maxeon 3 and Performance 7.

How Much Do SunPower Solar Panels Cost?

Whilst SunPower is considered a leading brand, that certainly comes at a premium; they’re considered to be one of the most expensive solar panel brands available in the UK.

When looking at 375w-455w panels, you'll see the Maxeon 3 and Performance 7 units offered in the region of £250-£300 per panel. 

A typical property will need somewhere in the region of 12 panels. For 12 panels, not including the likes of an inverter, controls, bird guard or installation costs, you're looking at £2,800+. 

By comparison, prices found via online plumbing merchants show you can easily pick up LONGi solar panels (comparable in quality) in the region of £80-£100 per panel. That’s going to equate to £960-£1,200 for 12 panels.

Put simply, if you want a SunPower system, expect to pay around £1,600 more than you would if using other leading solar PV module brands such as LONGi.

So, what’s the total cost including installation likely to be? And, how do SunPower / Maxeon compare to other leading brands?

We provide competitive pricing on solar panel systems from LONGi (a competitor of SunPower). A basic 5.16kW system without a battery comes in at just under £6,000. This includes installation by a Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) qualified installer.

These prices also include the likes of a bird guard, Smart Export Guarantee application (so you can sell excess electricity back to the grid), a hybrid inverter and a 25 year performance warranty on your panels.

Taking into account SunPower Maxeon solar panel prices, you’d expect to pay £7,600+ for the equivalent set up (over £1,600 more). 

Use our clickable solar panel tool here. There you’ll be able to get prices on a solar panel system that’s perfect for your home. 

SunPower Solar Panel Range

(Source: Maxeon)

SunPower have 2 main solar PV modules for the residential market that we’ll review below:

• Maxeon
• Performance

If you’re looking for the best of the 2, jump straight to our Maxeon review, as that’s the premium product in the SunPower range.

However, if you’re looking to get the best overall payback period that still includes a long warranty yet a lower upfront cost, go for: 

• SunPower Performance solar panels
• Leading brands such as LONGi; you can check prices for those here

SunPower Maxeon Solar Panels

The Maxeon PV solar panel range is the premium offering from SunPower. In our review below we’ll focus on SunPower’s Maxeon 3 range, given the likes of the Maxeon 5 are typically used in commercial units.

SunPower is known for being reliable. According to their website, only 0.005% (1 in 20,000) of panels are returned via warranty.

Efficiency

Maxeon 3 panels use high quality and durable materials (n-type silicone and strong anti reflective glass), providing high levels of efficiency alongside exceptional durability. 

Using a 370w-430w unit as an example - a typical size for a Maxeon solar panel - these offer up to 22.6% efficiency. Whilst not as high as the up to 23.2% that the Longi X6 can operate at, it's still impressive.

Warranty

SunPower Maxeon 3 PV solar panels offer one of the best warranties in the solar industry. Their product warranty of 40 years is much higher than the typical 15-20 years you’ll get from other brands.

Alongside a basic product warranty, you'll also get what's known as a performance warranty. This warranty focuses on the efficiency of panels over time. If efficiency drops below a certain level, SunPower will replace your panels for free.

After year 1, any degradation below 98% efficiency is covered. For years that follow, an average drop of 0.25% in efficiency is also covered.

More details covering warranty and degradation rates can be found here. This graphic produced from 8 Billion Trees is also worth a look. Typical panels will degrade at 2-3% in year 1, and 0.7% thereafter:

Panel Features

Crack resistant cells help SunPower to offer such a long warranty, given it's usually cracked cells that lead to panels becoming inefficient and needing to be replaced. In a system that uses a string inverter, all panels connected to the system would have their efficiency affected by a single cracked cell. 

These cells aren't just resistant to cracking, they're resistant to extreme temperatures too. They'll operate efficiently in temperatures from −40°C to +85°C. So, regardless of outside temperature, your system will be producing electricity efficiently, as long as there's sunlight.

And like other leading brands such as LONGi, SunPower's Maxeon 3 modules are monocrystalline (much more efficient and longer lasting than polycrystalline). These are protected by 3.2mm tempered glass.

Finally, from an aesthetics point of view, SunPower PV modules are clean looking. Available in all black, or, simply utilising a black frame to fit in with the look of your property. And using an IBC (Interdigitated Back Contact) design, all electrical connections are hidden from view.

SunPower Performance Panels

If you've not got the budget for Maxeon solar panels and want to stick to the SunPower brand, the Performance range that we'll review below is where you should be looking. 

However, there are competitive deals on offer from other leading brands. See how much a solar panel system costs with a 25 year warranty using our solar panel tool here. 

Efficiency

One of the popular units on offer is the 455w Performance 7 solar panel. Although this can't match the Maxeon 3 units when it comes to warranty, efficiency is similar; expect initial efficiency to be in the region of 22%. 

And the efficiency of the Performance 7 residential solar panels is consistent. They're bifacial units, meaning they can capture energy from both sides of the panel.

Warranty

Warranty is where you'll lose out with the Performance 7 in comparison to the Maxeon 3. Rather than their industry leading 40 year warranty that comes with the Maxeon 3, you'll get 30 years, which is inline with most other leading manufacturers. 

As with the Maxeon PV modules, this includes both a product and performance warranty. 

In year 1 if your modules drop below 99% of maximum output, they'll be replaced for free. 

For the years after (up to year 30), the maximum degradation rate is 0.4%. By comparison, the Maxeon 3 offers a tighter 0.25% degradation rate as part of their performance warranty (up to year 40).

Panel Features

With the Performance 7 you'll get a shingled cell design. This helps to keep temperatures down in cells; cells working at high temperatures generally aren't able to work productively. 

Of course, the Maxeon units are much more durable. Instead of using the 3.2mm tempered glass of the Maxeon, the Performance panels use 2mm heat strengthened glass.

Overall, you’re balancing cost vs warranty. 

The SunPower Maxeon 3 offers a longer warranty but bigger upfront cost. The Performance 7 offers a slightly shorter warranty but is much cheaper so offers a shorter payback period.

SunPower Reviews Online

With a SunPower solar panel system expected to cost £7,600 (£1,600 more than the likes of LONGi) it’s worth investigating what consumers think of their products as well as aftercare service.

Whilst many installers consider SunPower to be a quality brand, reviews from consumers aren’t exactly promising. Of over 500 reviews, SunPower received just 2 out of 5 stars, which is well below the industry average.

Should You Buy SunPower Solar Panels?

Warranty is where SunPower beats a lot of other solar panels. Typically, you’d expect a warranty of around 15-20 years, compared to the 40 years that SunPower offers with their Maxeon PV modules. 

However, one area that lets the brand down is price. A basic 5kW system from other leading manufacturers will set you back less than £6,000, when using a competitively priced installer. 

Installation costs using SunPower modules? Expect this to rocket to £7,600+.

And whilst TrustPilot isn’t the only thing to consider when choosing a brand, it’s worth investigating. SunPower has an incredibly low review rating (2 out of 5) from over 500 reviews. 

Overall, other leading brands offer a similar payback period and a much lower upfront installation cost. 

You can get prices on a complete solar panel array using our clickable tool here.