Maxeon launches SunPower Performance 3 AC solar panels

2021-12-14 13:51:37 By : Mr. Rachel H

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Maxeon Solar Technologies unveiled another AC solar panel-it seems that this battery will be shipped to Australia soon.

In most home solar installations, multiple panels are connected to a single string solar inverter. But a system with AC solar panels is characterized by modules, and each module has a factory-installed micro-inverter on the back.

Compared with string inverters, the use of micro-inverters provides many advantages, including panel-level optimization and monitoring, and conversion of DC power to AC power at the generating point. This means that HVDC cables do not need to pass through the roof.

In the string inverter scenario, a shaded solar panel will affect the performance of all panels in the string. With micro-inverters, only the performance of the shadow panel will be affected.

SunPower Maxeon 5 AC solar panel from SunPower spin-off company Maxeon Solar Technologies has been listed in Australia; another one should be added soon-SunPower Performance 3 AC.

Maxeon CEO Jeff Waters said: "Today's customers are increasingly demanding, and they want solar systems with first-class quality and peace of mind. "These are the main reasons behind the success of our first AC panel under the Maxeon product line. "

Mr. Waters said that adding Performance line AC solar panels will enable Maxeon to respond to different market segments with a "value line business proposition"; I think this is a "cheaper" company statement.

When manufacturers announce that new solar panels contain more fluff than material, it is usually a (frustrating) situation-Maxeon did not disappoint. But here I found the black version of the data sheet (German, July 19 update: now also in English), which shows the following:

Compared with Maxeon 5 AC, Performance 3 AC is heavier, less efficient, and has a lower temperature coefficient—the power output for 25 years is not guaranteed. Maxeon 5 AC cable also has higher wattage (400W, 410W, 415W).

We have no indicative pricing at this stage, but like other SunPower solar panels, they may be quite expensive-but there is no reason to suspect that these panels will be very high-quality panels. In view of the fact that the cost per panel of Performance 3 AC should be much cheaper than Maxeon 5 AC, because of the high-quality features and higher wattage of the product line, it remains to be seen how they stack on the basis of cost per watt.

In the relevant instructions, you can compare the specifications and prices of Maxeon/SunPower products with many other brands in SolarQuotes' solar panel comparison table.

As for the availability of new modules, Maxeon said it will ship SunPower Performance 3 AC to major international markets starting this quarter. Australia is considered a key market, so these panels will soon reach our shores.

Update on July 19: I heard from Maxeon that these panels are on the way to Australia and will be delivered from the first week of August. These will be the first Performance 3 AC panels available to customers around the world.

Michael discovered solar problems after purchasing modules in 2008 to piece together a small off-grid photovoltaic system. Since then, he has been covering Australian and international solar energy news.

The only disadvantage of the panel connected to the micro-inverter is the need to continuously monitor the output of each unit to ensure effective operation. I ran an experimental 3-unit system on my back shed because I can but don’t bother monitoring. If a leakage occurs during control or salvage operations, emergency workers will need to perform 100% effective isolation control at the installation point.

I have previously contacted you about my 7.5 kW system using 23 Sunpower panels, each with a Tigo optimizer.

The first call showed that 6 of the 8 strings had faulty Tigo switches, and the other 2 strings were normal. 6 Replaced within the warranty period.

My system again shows very low output from my Fronius and Emberpulse data.

I was booked to install a temporary monitoring Tigo system to check for any further problems that must exist due to the low output of my panel production. Due to the recent blockade in Sydney, inspections have stopped, and at the same time, my electricity bill has risen sharply compared to the same period last year.

I heard that the sunpower panel runs under different parameters from LG and so on. Have you heard of reports that Tigo Optimisers do not work well when used with Sunpower panels but work perfectly with other panels?

I think I have noticed an inconsistency between this article and your solar panel comparison spreadsheet. It would be great if you can check it.

The article claims that the efficiency of Maxeon 3AC panel is lower than Maxeon 5AC panel, but the spreadsheet shows 20.2% for 5AC panel and 20.6% for 3AC.

It would be surprising if 3AC was cheaper and more efficient.

Thank you very much for the important and high-quality service you provide through this website! love it! !

At present, Maxeon says that Maxeon 5 can reach 22.2% efficiency, and Maxeon 3 can reach 22.6% efficiency. So it seems that Maxeon 3 has a slight advantage in efficiency. Maxeon 5 includes a micro-inverter, so it will increase its cost.

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