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IBC vs. PERC: What’s the Best Type of Solar Panel?

IBC vs. PERC: What’s the Best Type of Solar Panel?

SunPower’s highly durable Maxeon cells feature a thick layer of tin-plated copper on the back, ensuring robustness and efficiency. Maxeon cells boast over 20 percent higher efficiency compared to PERC panels.

As solar manufacturers continuously strive for enhanced efficiency, various types of solar panel technologies emerge, each offering different levels of efficiency and reliability for customers to consider.

One such technology, known as “Passivated Emitter and Rear Contact” (PERC), is gaining popularity. PERC solar cells feature an additional layer on the backside that reflects some of the sunlight back into the cell. This secondary absorption opportunity makes PERC solar cells 6 to 12 percent more efficient than conventional solar panels.

While PERC solar panels represent an advancement over conventional panels, “Interdigitated Back Contact” (IBC) panels take efficiency, energy yield, and reliability to the next level.

SunPower Equinox® offers a complete home energy system with multiple high-quality panel options, including PERC or IBC solar cell technology. This flexibility allows you to tailor your solar system to maximize savings, performance, and aesthetics. Moreover, our panels come with a best-in-industry 25-year Complete Confidence warranty, ensuring both product quality and promised power output.

Rigorously quality-tested panels are paired with storage and monitoring hardware, enabling real-time performance tracking via the mySunPower® app. When installed using Sunpower-InvisiMount® mounting system, the streamlined appearance on your roof boasts fewer visible parts.

Pros and Cons of PERC and IBC Solar Cells:

We provide our customers with a choice between panels made of PERC or IBC cells, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages:

PERC Pros:

  • Manufactured like conventional solar cells, making use of existing equipment.
  • Higher efficiency compared to non-PERC panels, reducing the number of panels required for electricity production.

PERC Cons:

  • Most PERC solar panels feature visible metal strips, which may not align with some homeowners’ aesthetic preferences.

IBC Pros:

  • Highest-efficiency solar panels available today, reducing installation costs and maximizing energy production.*
  • Higher efficiency translates to fewer panels required, potentially accommodating future expansions such as adding electric vehicles.
  • Lower degradation rate compared to other panels, ensuring sustained performance over the system’s lifespan.
  • Superior performance in varying conditions, including high temperatures and low light scenarios, maximizing energy production throughout the day.
  • Cell-level hotspot protection enhances performance in shaded areas.

IBC Cons:

  • Initial higher cost, although the long-term return on investment is higher due to increased panel efficiency.

 

We are ready to explore how our next-generation technology can help you generate more energy over time, resulting in greater savings.

Ready to discover your potential savings? Simply contact us for a customized solar solution for your property.