SunPower oasis platform permits faster, less expensive solar power plant installations

[Arslan Ijaz]

https://cleantechnica.com/2017/04/25/sunpower-oasis-platform-permits-faster-less-expensive-solar-power-plant-installations/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+IM-cleantechnica+%28CleanTechnica%29

[Arslan Ijaz]

This is what we call a continuous improvement process. SunPower has not only decreased the initial installment cost but also decreased the maintenance cost of the solar power plant by reducing the equipment parts. This improvement will definitely help their business for sure but it will also make sure that more people can get benefit from it due to the affordable price range as compared to the conventional units. This reduced cost will enable the buyers from the developing countries to be able to install these units and ultimately move towards the sustainable energy resources. Initiatives like this should always get appreciation and I am happy that Toyota did that. This P – series solar panels will definitely be more durable and energy efficient at reduced cost. From the buyer’s perspective, I would love to use products like this. 

[Chun S]

Solar Power is one of the cleanest power today. Some countries have been encouraging their people to install solar panels on the top of roofs with government subsidies, but very small portion of households have installed the solar system. To popularize this great system, the Solar power companies must enhance the biggest problem of solar system – low capacity factor. In general, most of solar system can’t even reach 30% of its capacity factor, fewer power generated higher cost to the average cost per kilowatt. Most of people don’t install it without government subsidies. To lower the cost of solar panel and increase the capacity factor and energy storage, as long as the cost per kilowatt drops to lower than our monthly utility bill, that will be more and more people accept this.

[Arslan Ijaz]

Chun, you picked out some nice points that why these solar panels are not very common in the public. They required high installation and maintenance cost with low out put. If I look 10 years back, I barely used to see these solar systems as compared to the present. Inventions like P - series by SunPower are helping out bringing these systems to the public market by reducing the cost and increasing the output of the system. 

[Martinez, Alfred S.]

The main message I receive from this article is that SunPower has developed its product to reduce the installation cost with less parts and it emphasizes that its product is competitively priced with better efficiency than its competitors. I am not sold on the general claims made by SunPower President Tom Werner. I would like to see substantiated results before buying into his product. Although, savings on initial installations is always a benefit, initial product costs, maintenance costs, life cycle, and efficiency are even greater factors when considering a product.

[Dobhal, Shivani]

I think this is a great cost-effective and innovative venture by SunPower. The fact that it contains fewer parts and slashes the maintenance and operating costs in half is a great selling point for their Oasis product. With this company's impressive history in providing solar systems with cutting edge technology across the globe, it will be much easier to market and find prospective buyers as well. SunPower has already made it's mark in the clean energy industry and this Oasis platform product is doing well in taking the brand's name in the right direction. I am amazed by the Oasis platform's ability to gauge the client's terrain by using drones in order to attain optimal clean energy targets while keeping the client's financial aspects in mind. Toyota's acceptance of SunPower's latest technology only goes to show how market giants are jumping on this technology and I am positive that SunPower will add more heavyweights to it's client list. I was wondering if SunPower has done something similar for it's homeowner clients as well. It seems like they have already covered all bases as their technology works against moisture intrusion amongst other things, it would be interesting to see how they could market this cost-effective, user-friendly technology to homeowners. 

[Agustin Quintana]

One of the hardest challenges in the renewable energy industry is cost effectiveness. Until renewable energy is not cost effective, it will never replace the traditional fossil fuel energy sources. As demand increases more cost-effective technologies will be developed due to the competition to fulfill the demand. This is the environment in which SunPower is competing and it has lead them to innovate to make solar power more cost effective. As emerging markets evolve there will be more competition in this industry and thus more innovation to make solar power more affordable. I think SunPower has the right strategy in investing in ways to reduce cost, as this will be the determining factor to expand to new markets.