Maxeon to ramp up solar shingle module production in the US

From pv magazine USA

Maxeon Solar Technologies said it will ramp up efforts to sell its Performance line shingled module technology in the U.S., facilitated by the deployment of up to 3.6 GW of new assembly capacity in two phases.

The expansion depends on the company obtaining debt or equity financing to buy equipment, after which initial sales are expected to start in the first quarter of 2022.

Maxeon already has a presence in the U.S. rooftop market through its supply of interdigitated back contact (IBC) panels to SunPower Corp. Maxeon said it will also supply the Performance panels to SunPower. Maxeon was launched in 2020 as an independent company following its spin-off from SunPower.

Maxeon said that in phase one of its capacity expansion it will use existing facilities to ramp 1.8 GW of new capacity. Large-format G12 mono-PERC solar cells are planned to be manufactured at the company’s site in Malaysia, and module assembly is planned to be done at a facility in Mexicali, Mexico.

The company next will select a site for a U.S.-based module assembly facility with a capacity of up to an additional 1.8 GW. Depending on site conditions and market demand, the second phase is expected to begin operation in 2023.

The company said that greater volume in Malaysia and Mexico will improve its overhead utilization, helping to drive down costs for its IBC products. It said its Mexicali factory is well-placed to reach customers in the Southwest U.S.

The new capacity will be used to manufacture Maxeon’s shingled bifacial panel technology, with a rated power of up to 650 W per panel and efficiency that the company said is greater than 21%. It said its primary target market for the new capacity will be utility-scale power plants and large commercial and industrial systems.