Are SunPower Solar Panels The Best?
In our opinion, SunPower panels are the best. SunPower panels offer a better return on investment. Even though the upfront cost may be higher, these panels produce more power over time and last longer.
The SunPower installation is aesthetically superior, with no wires or unsightly equipment. Their comprehensive warranty covers everything and is the best whole-system warranty. The price, however, can be higher than LG and Panasonic solar systems.
Why A SunPower Solar System Is Worth The Price
SunPower solar panels cost more than other solar panels. We all know that the best things usually aren’t the cheapest, and the cheapest things rarely are the best.
But is there a difference between SunPower and other premium panels like LG and Panasonic that justifies paying more?
SunPower solar panels are pricier than others, but they offer a better return on investment by producing more power over time. They have the most attractive, minimalist installation with the most comprehensive warranty in the industry, covering your entire solar system. SunPower guarantees it all in writing.
Not All Solar Panels Are Created Equal
Look at a SunPower Maxeon panel, and you’ll see a solid copper back and no ugly busbars on the front. These superior panels outperform conventional panels in efficiency, performance, and reliability. The design makes them sleek, attractive, and durable.
SunPower Solar Panels Have The Highest Efficiency
SunPower’s record-setting cells create the most efficient panel: 22.7% compared to conventional cells at 18%. They generate more energy production per square foot than other solar panels, turning more sunlight into electricity. This translates into a smaller solar footprint on the roof, and fewer panels help minimize roof penetrations.
What Is Solar Degradation And Why Does It Matter?
Solar panels lose power over time because of corrosion, delamination, cracking, and breakage. A solar panel’s degradation rate reduces power output year after year. A low degradation rate is important for long-term power production.
The SunPower Maxeon panels have the lowest degradation rate in the solar industry thanks to their unique design. After 25 years, they guarantee the panels will produce 92% power, and it’s in their 25-year warranty.
Conventional panels average 83% production over 25 years in their performance warranties. SunPower will generate 35% more energy over 25 years, resulting in more power and savings for homeowners.
Durability
SunPower guarantees your solar panels for 25 years, even in harsh conditions. They’re tolerant of extreme heat, strong winds, pouring rains, freezing ice and snow, and coastal marine environments’ salty, corrosive air.
SunPower residential panels set the standard for handling extreme weather conditions. Their warranty even covers marine exposure. Their manufacturing process is fundamentally different than the rest.
Have you seen our SunPower break test? See what happens when we try to break SunPower and Panasonic panels.
Are The Benefits Of SunPower Worth The Extra Cost?
Efficiency, low degradation, and durability combine to make SunPower Maxeon panels the most powerful solar panel that money can buy. But there are still more benefits and features that a SunPower solar system offers your home.
You can avoid the 7 biggest mistakes when going solar by researching before signing a contract.
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SunPower Equinox System: All-In-One Excellence
When you buy SunPower from an Authorized Dealer, you get a completely integrated solar system: The SunPower Equinox System. It’s a premium system with premium features made with premium products. Its components work perfectly together and carry the industry’s best complete system warranty. SunPower is not just a solar panel company!
The Equinox All-In-One system includes SunPower Maxeon solar panels, SunPower SPWR-A4 microinverters, the Invisimount racking system, mySunPower monitoring system, and the SunPower Complete Confidence warranty. The SunPower SunVault backup battery is an optional add-on to store solar power.
To quote SunPower, “Gone are the days of clunky, piecemeal solar systems. Our SunPower Equinox system + SunVault Storage is the only complete home solar solution designed by one company to work together perfectly.” Explore SunPower Equinox.
Sunpower Design Studio
If you want to decide exactly where the solar panels will go on your roof, then you’ll love the Sunpower Design Studio.
Enter your address and energy usage; you can design your layout and see the energy savings in real time!
SunPower SPWR-A4 Micro Inverters
SunPower and Enphase designed and built the SPWR-A4 micro inverters. They are pre-installed on SunPower panels in the factory. When a micro inverter is factory-mounted on a solar panel, it’s called an AC module because the DC power is converted to AC power at the panel or “module.” There is no ugly central inverter on your wall and no single point of failure for your system.
With a peak power of 369 VA and continuous power of 349 VA, the SPWR-A4 micro inverter has the highest efficiency for module-level power electronics. This means it converts more sunlight into power immediately right at the panel.
SPWR-A4 micros are optimized for high-powered solar modules and have a CEC efficiency rating of 97%, the highest for any microinverter. Get more tips in our post about the best inverters for high-powered solar panels.
Invisimount Racking
SunPower’s innovative racking design is genuinely “invisible.” It’s a minimalist, clean-racking system that you’ll never see. Protect your home’s value with the sleek and discreet Invisimount low-profile racking that looks beautiful in any architectural style.
mySunPower Monitoring
You can monitor your solar production and energy usage with the robust mySunPower app or the mySunPower web portal. You have total control over your SunVault battery, too. Another great perk is you can reach SunPower support right from the app!!
The app updates you on your solar production, energy use, and savings and controls your SunVault battery storage system.
SunPower Complete Confidence Warranty
Going solar shouldn’t be a risky investment. One company, one call! SunPower’s comprehensive Complete-System Warranty covers your system’s performance, labor, and parts for 25 years. If you have any problems, then they will fix them.
SunPower SunVault Storage
With a solar battery backup, you have safety and power inside your home, no matter what happens outside of it. The SunVault battery system stores power when the grid goes down and lets you access your solar power whenever you want.
Whether it’s protecting yourself from rolling blackouts, natural disasters, or peak utility rates, take control of your power with the ultimate insurance policy. No more worrying about losing the fridge or internet when the power goes down when you have energy storage!
The SunPower Difference
SunPower is like the Disney of solar: They are obsessed with design, down to the finest degree of detail. As you go through the sales and design process with them, you will find they operate differently than everyone else. Their process and products are like no other.
A Story Only An Insider Can Tell
I worked for SunPower solar installers for much of my career. I also worked for solar energy companies that installed conventional and high-efficiency solar panels like LG and Panasonic.
As an insider, I know what makes SunPower special and why it’s a superb value. I also know the pricing metrics. For my own house, I chose Sunpower.
SunPower Doesn’t Sell Their Panels To Everyone
SunPower has been around for 40 years and has always offered high-quality panels. Their installation process ensures the most attractive and efficient solar energy system at an elite price point. Recently, Sunpower spun off the panel division. Maxeon Solar Technologies is now the solar panel manufacturer.
SunPower only sells to authorized dealers who’ve completed training on SunPower products and installation techniques, ensuring you get the best possible product and installation.
Because SunPower only sells to dealers, few people know their prices. Less competition drives prices downward since only Authorized Dealers can sell the Equinox system.
How Much Do Sunpower Solar Panels Cost?
You’ll pay 10% – 20% more than a conventional system for a SunPower Equinox system. For example, if cheap systems sell for $3.00 per watt in your area, expect to pay $3.30 – $3.60 per watt for SunPower.
The installation cost includes other components, such as microinverters and racking, skilled labor and administrative fees like permits. See how much solar panels cost here.
Compared to a budget panel like Q Cells, it is still a top choice for your solar.
You can finance your Sunpower system with one of their premium loans with $0 down. Check local dealers for special rebates and current rates. The lower the interest rate, the higher the dealer fees for all solar loans. Read more in our solar financing guide.
Sunpower Has Leases Too
While the popularity of solar leases has diminished since solar loans are more available, Sunpower offers excellent leasing options. Opt for a lease if you don’t qualify for the tax credit or don’t want a loan.
SunPower vs SunRun vs Tesla
Neither Sunrun nor Tesla ever manufactured solar cells. While all 3 of these solar companies offer leases or PPAs, only SunPower installs premium panels on leases.
Elon Musk, who owns a major stake in Tesla, decided to put SunPower commercial panels on the roof of his SpaceX building! If that doesn’t say it all! Sunpower is the leader in commercial solar, and its panels are in the solar arrays of the world’s biggest companies.
Solar Pays For Itself Over Time
In most cases, solar pays for itself over time. Investing in solar turns an expense into an asset and also freezes the cost of the electricity it generates.
If your solar system pays itself off, shouldn’t you get the best system, not the cheapest? Why not get the Rolls Royce if solar pays for itself? Why not get the one that produces the most power over time?
The Rolls Royce Of Solar Panels
Our original post on the best solar panels picked Panasonic, LG, and SunPower as the industry’s top 3 elite solar panels.
Now that LG has left the solar industry, our latest post on the best solar panels compares SunPower, REC, and Panasonic.
SunPower Solar Panels vs LG & Panasonic
These three giants dominate the elite class of solar manufacturers, and reviewing their numbers reveals just how close they are in quality. UPDATE: LG stopped manufacturing solar products in 2022. REC is now in the top 3.
| Brand | Product Warranty | Warrantied Year 25 output | Panel efficiency | Temp. coefficient | Avg. cost per watt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SunPower | 25 years | 92.00% | 22.8% | -0.29% / Celsius | $3.49 |
| LG | 25 years | 90.80% | 21.7% | -0.30% / Celsius | $3.43 |
| Panasonic | 25 years | 90.76% | 20.3% | -0.258% / Celsius | $3.44 |
If they are so close, why is SunPower considered the best? Their comprehensive warranty, for one. Their warranty includes all shipping fees and labor costs and covers every component of your system down to the nuts and bolts! Add to that the impressive 25-year performance warranty, all covered by one solar company. So simple and convenient.
The SunPower difference is in the design. The solid copper back means the panel continues to produce even when the solar panel is damaged. The Equinox aesthetic is unmatched in the industry. It is the Gold Standard!
When you invest in a SunPower Equinox solar system, you’re guaranteed high power, performance, and reliability, all beautifully designed with premium aesthetics!
SunPower FAQ
Its headquarters have been in San Jose, Silicon Valley, since 1985
Only SunPower and its dealers have exclusive access to the world’s highest-efficiency solar panels featuring Maxeon cell technology
SunPower has been ranked #1in commercial solar since 2017
Sunpower has received more than 1,000 patents for solar innovation and inventions
Finding The Best Solar Companies
Our popular post on how to pick the best solar company will guide you on your quest for the best solar at a great price. If you want specific recommendations for the best California solar installers, see our list of California’s 7 best solar companies.
Sunpower Is The Best Value Over Time
If you’re looking for the world’s best solar, look no more. SunPower is your answer to a clean and renewable energy future with panels backed by an industry-leading solar panel warranty. They may be pricier than other options, but they offer a better return on investment. Even if the upfront cost is higher, over time, they cost less because they produce more power and last longer. With sleek aesthetics and a comprehensive warranty covering your system for 25 years, there’s never been a safer bet when installing solar on your property.
