Create Certification, Training to Spur Growth: Sunpower Maxeon

Q: How does Mexico fit into Maxeon Solar Technologies’s overall strategy?

A: The company was born in 1985 in Silicon Valley, and it has always seen Mexico’s potential to leverage the North American market. At first, Mexico was seen as a manufacturing hub, but its solar market gradually began to grow. Now, over 99% of renewable energy comes from solar panels, making Mexico important both for manufacturing and selling. The company not only seeks to produce and sell, but to link various elements related to sustainability, community relations, and regulations. In all these aspects, Mexico is increasingly important.

Q: How do your technologies compare to other alternatives in the market in terms of efficiency rates and overall ROI?

A: Innovation is in our DNA. We are not the largest player in the market, but we are leaders in innovation. The company focuses on developing patents and creating the best technology. We developed an interdigitated back contact (IBC) solar cell that uses a copper plate to conduct the energy produced. By using high quality silicon, this technology enhances conductivity and limits the impact of problems common to solar panels, like shade or clouds. This technology produces more energy and for a longer time. These differentiators allow us to offer much greater warranties than the rest of the market, up to 40 years for both the product and its production.

Q: How mature is the Mexican market for the adoption of your solutions? 

A: Installers, consumers, and engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) suppliers are increasingly interested in our products. But there is still a lack of knowledge that stops them from easily identifying the difference between one product and another. We sell value and not price. Although no one wants to spend more than necessary, focusing solely on price usually sacrifices the quality of the products, components, and service. Even as the price of raw materials increases in international markets, some manufacturers will still lower their price, which suggests that they are reducing their quality. The impact of lower quality products is not felt at the moment of sale, it emerges after the systems are installed and show defects faster than expected. Some users who invested in systems of less quality saw a difference in their production within two to three years.

Q: How will your manufacturing plant in Mexicali, Baja California, support nearshoring in Mexico? 

A: We have operated for over 10 years in Mexico. Many factors have contributed to making Mexico a competitive country, including its people, infrastructure, roads, and trade agreements. The company is committed to continue growing in the Americas, so it recently made a large investment in the plant in Mexicali and is planning to build a new plant in the United States, probably in 2025. This will allow us to increase manufacturing in Mexico and strengthen the region as a regional cluster in North America, while reducing our reliance on maritime freight. These manufacturing operations always generate a spillover of knowledge toward the surrounding communities. 

Q: What are the major challenges the industry faces to increase professionalization, especially among installers?

A: We see several areas in the industry that require development: financing, sustainability, and professionalization. We do not install systems, but we understand that as the market grows, the need for installers with sufficient competence also grows. We have an alliance with UNAM’s Renewable Energy Institute to offer certifications to our installers and their work teams, which has been well received by the market.

The industry has grown quickly and has developed rapidly. Panels and installations are larger and now include inverters with new capacities and storage. Someone who started 10 years ago has had to constantly update themselves. The sector should grow proactively by sharing best practices and creating certification and training opportunities for all.

Q: How is Mexico advancing on the deployment of regulation for quality and standardization in the installing sector? 

A: Although there are norms and competency standards, they are not strictly applied. Another issue is that many components are imported and some do not meet the minimum certifications. Regulations should focus on ensuring compliance with existing standards. There are initiatives to improve the regulations, but it is a joint effort that must involve manufacturers, distributors, installers, and end consumers. Consumers should demand that those who make them an offer meet all regulatory requirements and are certified.

Q: What are the company’s objectives for 2024 and 2025? What trends do you see emerging in the industry over the next few years?

A: In Mexico, the installed capacity of distributed generation grew by 22% last year. Our goal is to always grow above that percentage. We know that our business model is not to sell anything to anyone, but to oversee the process. 

Solar panels are undergoing many technological changes. We have been working with IBC and Monoperc technology, and now the latter is migrating to Topcon technology, which gives us better efficiency. Topcon's average efficiency should be over 22%, but we have almost 25% with IBC. Our Max 7 has an efficiency of 24.7%. We continue to set the trend and we think that the future of the industry does not stop at Topcon but will be closer to technologies such as IBC.

Also, storage is set to become more important, especially if there are changes in regulation. Mexico recently published electromobility regulation, which is linked to the development of storage. This technology is still in an early stage, but it offers opportunities to develop.


 

Sunpower From Maxeon Solar Technologies is a global leader in solar innovation, designing, manufacturing and selling advanced Maxeon and SunPower-branded solar panels and solutions worldwide. Maxeon leverages over 35 years of solar energy leadership to deliver reliable, efficient and sustainably made solar panels and energy solutions for residential, commercial, and power plant customers.