Capturing the Sun and Pleasing the Eye

By Dwell @dwell
<div id="node-135011" class="node node-article clearfix"> <article class="content"> <div class="field field-name-field-photobank field-type-field-collection field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"><figure class="imagefield-image"> <a href="http://www.dwell.com/sponsored-post/article/capturing-sun-and-pleasing-eye"><img src="http://assets.dwell.com/sites/default/files/2016/07/18/oshinsky_vert_final_stage_2_1.jpg" alt="Backyard view of home with solar panels" /></a> <figcaption class="imagefield-caption"> <div class="imagefield-caption-inner"> <p>Specially developed by SunPower, the Maxeon® solar cell produces 55% more energy in the first year than conventional panels. The difference lies in the copper backing: unlike metal paste, which is commonly used, this material takes in more light and resists decay. Thick connectors flex to keep the cell intact through rough weather and drastic temperature swings.</p> </div> </figcaption> </figure></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"><p>We’ve come a long way in regard to solar power. Since the photovoltaic effect was discovered in 1839, innovators have improved the efficiency of the solar cell by leaps and bounds, leading to the advent of residential solar panels and making it possible for homeowners to achieve net zero energy consumption.</p><p>Now, harnessing a highly evolved technology, the <a href="http://us.sunpower.com/residential-solar-energy-system-equinox/">SunPower Equinox™</a> platform provides a fully integrated, home solar system that is designed and engineered by one company. Not only does it boast superior performance, the solar system also complements a home’s <a href="http://us.sunpower.com/blog/2016/06/22/homeowners-choose-sunpower-solar-panels-green-home-design/">aesthetic appeal</a> thanks to its minimalist, grid-free panels and hidden mounting hardware.</p><p>The numbers don’t lie: SunPower® panels deliver <a href="https://us.sunpower.com/residential-solar-energy-system-equinox-product-details/#sunpower-panels" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(45, 45, 45); transition: 0.4s ease; outline: 0px;">70% more energy</a> in the same space over 25 years compared to conventional panels and boast a world record-setting <a href="https://us.sunpower.com/blog/2016/06/26/sunpower-solar-module-verified-241-percent-efficient/" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(45, 45, 45); transition: 0.4s ease; outline: 0px;">efficiency rate</a>. This allows the system to occupy less space without compromising potency, ensuring that homeowners have room to expand to accommodate future energy-intensive additions—new cooling or heating systems, entertainment centers, electric cars, spas and fountains. The modular design makes this a seamless process, and the proprietary InvisiMount® frame eliminates clunky hardware so that the sleek black panels seem to float over the roof. </p><p>Built-in microinverters not only remove the need for one or more big, bulky inverters on the wall, they eliminate the need for lines of metal piping running from panels to inverters. This is because all the magic happens right there at the panels, hidden from view.</p><p>The EnergyLink™ Ecosystem assimilates the panel system into a modern, tech-enabled household. Users can interface with it through a desktop or mobile device and access real-time data on energy production versus usage, lifetime bill savings, and daily energy mix. The platform also presents the information in contextual ways, for instance counting the pounds of CO2 emissions avoided or gallons of gasoline preserved. This gives consumers holistic insight into their home’s environmental footprint.</p><p>With the only manufacturer's warranty that covers the whole system and an <a href="https://us.sunpower.com/sites/sunpower/files/media-library/white-papers/wp-sunpower-module-40-year-useful-life.pdf" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(45, 45, 45); transition: 0.4s ease; outline: 0px;">expected useful life of 40 years</a>, SunPower Equinox systems afford not only power but peace of mind. As a system, it provides a rare confluence of performance, style, and durability, a combination that attracts green home architects and contractors.</p> <style type="text/css"> <!--/*--><![CDATA[/* ><!--*/ .outer-container { position: relative; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25%; } .BrightcoveExperience { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } /*--> ]]>