Maxeon stated in an email to SunPower customers, on August 27th, 2024:
“We want to provide further information regarding warranty support for solar panels made by Maxeon Solar Technologies and supplied by SunPower Corporation. In response to SunPower Corporation’s filing for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11, Maxeon confirms that it will provide support for SunPower-branded solar panels made by Maxeon and installed by a SunPower dealer prior to August 5th, 2024.”
Homeowners Inquiries For homeowners who purchased SunPower systems and are concerned about the status of their product warranty, we are providing an updated letter with warranty coverage and registration information with Maxeon.
Warranty Coverage Period For Maxeon Preferred Partners, Maxeon will provide warranty support for SunPower-branded solar panels made by Maxeon and installed through October 31st, 2024. This support covers solar panels you have received prior to SunPower’s bankruptcy announcement on August 5th.
To register warranty for SunPower-branded panels installed after August 5, 2024, please register the warranty via the Maxeon One portal in the same manner as you register current Maxeon installations. A link to register SunPower-branded panels will be available on the Maxeon One portal shortly. Maxeon will review exceptions to the October 31st installation deadline on a case-by-case basis. Please contact your Regional Sales Manager for inquiries.
Warranty Product Coverage Maxeon support covers the solar panel only. Any issues with micro-inverters or other balance of system components should be addressed with their respective manufacturers.
For warranty support, or any further questions, please reach out to [email protected].
To my valued clients, who installed and own SunPower products, I am sharing the unfortunate news that: on August 5, 2024, SunPower Corporation, and nine (9) of its affiliates (collectively, the “Debtors”) filed petitions in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware seeking relief under chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code.
It is important to note, in August, 2020, SunPower Corporation and Maxeon Solar Technologies made a transaction to split the company into two separate companies: SunPower (NASDAQ:SPWR) and Maxeon Solar Technologies (NASDAQ:MAXN). During this restructuring, Maxeon took ownership of panel and cell manufacturing facilities located in France, Malaysia, Mexico and the Philippines.
SunPower’s focus following the split was on the North American Solar market with distribution, sales, marketing and installation of solar panels, energy storage and associated products. Maxeon Solar Technologies became the global developer, distributor and manufacturer of the previously SunPower panels with Maxeon cell technology, and to follow the split: Maxeon Technologies solar cells and panel lines.
Since the split of the two companies, SunPower began sales of other panel technologies, and rebranded the lines with SunPower branding, offering SunPower warranties, under a new lower cost series called SunPower U series. SunPower also continued, to purchase Maxeon Technologies manufactured panels, and brand as SunPower Maxeon lines: M series, A series, X series, & E series, including SunPower warranties on the Maxeon lines.
The biggest questions following the Ch 11 announcement are: “What happens to: SunPower warranties, service, proprietary monitoring, and or proprietary SunPower SunVault storage service and warranties?”
Two promising statements that have been made following SunPower’s announcement in regard to SunPower warranties moving forward. Maxeon Technologies and Enphase Energy Inc. have published letters to SunPower customers, stating they plan to support products they have manufactured that were installed under SunPower brands.
Maxeon Technologies lines include: Sunpower “X, M, A, and E series.” It’s not clear if Maxeon will put any restrictions on dates of installation or if they plan to cover all Maxeon products historically. Maxeon Solar Technologies made the statement in a letter to SunPower customers dated: August 15th, 2024: “If you own a SunPower system that includes SunPower-branded panels that are manufactured by Maxeon Solar Technologies, Maxeon will meet its warranty obligations for these solar panels.” Read Letter Here
Enphase Energy Technologies Inc is the manufacturer of most of the SunPower AC products, microinverters that were factory integrated into the SunPower “AC” or “SunPower Equinox” panels. Enphase Energy, Inc has stated in a letter to SunPower system owners: “Rest assured that Enphase Energy will honor the terms of the product warranty for Enphase microinverters used in SunPower solar systems.” Read Letter Here
SunPower U series panels have multiple manufacturing sources and there are also earlier versions of Maxeon panels that include a microinverter manufacturer, that was not Enphase.
There are still unanswered questions regarding what this Ch 11 announcement means for customers and partners. While we do not not have all the answers at this time, I intend to keep you updated as necessary as we navigate this process.
