Maxeon Solar Technologies has released its new Maxeon Air technology platform which includes frameless solar panels for rooftop use.
About the Maxeon frameless solar panels
The Maxeon Air frameless solar panel systems are 50% lighter than conventional panels – they’re also completely free of aluminum framing, glass, racking, ballast or anchors. Think peel and stick – this is going to have a massive difference for premises who have uneven roofs or roofs previously unsuitable for conventional solar panel installation. It’ll at least be a whole lot easier than installing panels on strangely curved and shaped roofs (any installer will know what I’m talking about!). According to the Maxeon Air website, the frameless solar panels have been created over five years of research, development and testing.
With more than 3.5 billion cells installed on 7 continents, it’s pretty fair to say Maxeon solar cells have been rigorously tested in labs and proven in the field. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of warranty is involved in these solar panels, and how they work in terms of installation – which has promised to be much simpler than it is right now.
Maxeon refer to the panels as having an innovative peel-and-stick adhesive that requires no rooftop membrane penetrations, noting that this will minimise business disruption for customers, so it could be a fantastic panel to use if you’re looking for commercial solar panel installation.
A sales pitch from their website reveals how far ahead of the curve Maxeon are in terms of solar panel technology – their yield in partial shade and high temperatures is “unrivaled”, and they provide the highest efficiency and reliability in silicon solar (Caveats: Maxeon Air 330 W (Ground Coverage Ratio GCR of 0.9) compared to Conventional Single Tilt system (GCR of 0.65) with Conventional Panel (380W mono PERC, 19% efficient, approx. 2 m²). System loads on roof calculated with a GCR of 0.9.).
Maxeon have advised that the panels will be ready for sale in Q1 of next year. Can’t wait to look at some installs and see if the stats they’ve given stack up. I doubt they’ll come cheap, but that’s alright if the value proposition is there. Watch this space!
