SunPower

In 2019, SunPower was awarded the solar industry’s Sustainability Award. It was the first solar panel manufacturer to achieve Cradle to Cradle™ recognition, which recognizes the company’s material health and reutilization, renewable energy use, water stewardship, and social fairness.

The company is also certified with the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP); in fact, the SunPower Equinox Best Practices exam is one of the listed certification programs available through the NABCEP, and is requisite for SunPower dealers to pass before they can start installing SunPower’s premium products.

SunPower has been on the cutting edge of solar technology for more than 30 years. Consequently, the company excels when it comes to innovation and design of solar cell equipment, enabling customers to be confident that they will have the highest-quality solar products expertly installed on their homes.

In fact, the solar installer provides the highest-efficiency solar panels you can buy today. The solar panel manufacturer engineers elite solar modules that are up to 22.3 percent in solar panel efficiency, and carry a temperature coefficient of -0.29, meaning output will not be negatively affected because of excessive heat. Each SunPower panel is made of anti-reflective glass and coated with anti-reflective film for optimum durability and to ensure that they capture as much sunlight as possible. In short, SunPower cells provide the best value for your money.

The SunPower X Series solar panels excel in terms of power generation and deliver 44 percent more energy per watt than competitive products. This means that SunPower can provide more clean power for its customers' homes with a smaller solar installation and fewer panels than other companies.

Every SunPower solar panel also boasts 75 percent more energy per watt than conventional solar panels, meaning that an investment in a SunPower solar energy system pays off significantly more in the long run.

In addition, SunPower panels maintain their energy production much better than conventional panels in partially shaded conditions, making them a better rooftop solar option for customers who live in a cloudy region or an often shady area.

In addition to being highly efficient, SunPower panels are uniquely attractive and aesthetically pleasing. While many other companies in the solar industry offer conventional solar panels — traditional blue photovoltaic panels with bright, visible frames and mounting hardware — SunPower's panels are all black, and their mounting system sleek and nearly invisible, allowing the SunPower solar installation to blend in better with the rooftop on most homes.

SunPower recently introduced SunVault™ storage — a powerful and sleek residential storage solution that pairs with SunPower Equinox®, the company’s premier residential solar power system. Once widely available, SunPower panels that are installed with SunVault storage will allow customers to have ready access to electricity even in the event of a power outage.

Monitoring of system status and performance is extremely important for customers who want to see how much energy the panels on their roof are producing — currently, as well as historically — and ensure that everything is operating as it should.

SunPower provides a helpful, convenient app for customers to do just that. The app provides important system information such as power output, estimated savings, energy production over time, and the environmental impact of the energy generated by the system. All of this system information is easily viewed on a smartphone.

SunPower systems also include a consumption monitoring kit, which is installed if the homeowner’s site is compatible. With consumption monitoring, homeowners can view current and historical energy usage, and the SunPower app provides more in-depth information about their energy profile.

SunPower offers multiple warranties to protect its customers' solar energy systems, including a 25-year Complete Confidence product warranty, which covers the equipment itself, and a 25-year workmanship warranty, which covers the labor and solar installation. The clean energy company also offers a 25-year performance warranty, which covers the customer in the event that their solar modules underperform in terms of energy production and output.

SunPower offers three different payment options for customers to choose from that help them save on their electric bill: solar leasing, purchasing with cash, and financing with a loan.

With the lease option, SunPower Capital owns the system and the customer effectively rents the system via monthly payments. The lease comes with a 25-year performance guarantee, as well as easy options in case the customer needs to transfer the lease.

SunPower also offers outright purchase and financing options for customers interested in the tax credits and other incentives that supplement the benefits of solar power ownership. Loan terms for solar systems typically range from 5 to 25 years and do not have any prepayment penalties attached.

Many customers may be interested in obtaining a SunPower module through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) because this payment method typically includes some kind of $0 down option, which eliminates a barrier to entry for them to go solar.

Unfortunately, SunPower only offers PPAs to commercial customers; however, the company's solar lease option can provide immediate financial benefits (and at a flat rate) to customers.

The cost of a SunPower solar system ultimately depends on several factors, including current energy usage, available amount of unshaded roof space, the local utility’s net metering policy, and other factors. The easiest way to learn exactly how much solar will cost you is to obtain a free quote from SunPower.