2001: A Space Odyssey
SunPower has joined with REC Group to produce a solar panel for the U.S. residential market, named after the monolith featured in the 1968 movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The all-black Monolith solar panel peaks at 470 W and weighs 50 lbs. It is a rebrand of REC’s Alpha Pure-RX 470-W panel.
The joint development agreement between SunPower and REC aims to develop, engineer and commercialize high-wattage, frameless bifacial solar panels for the residential and light commercial solar markets. The Monolith panel is not bifacial, but SunPower intends to change that soon.
T.J. Rodgers unveiling the SunPower/REC Monolith solar panel.
Despite the original SunPower going out of business, current SunPower Chairman and CEO T.J. Rodgers is leaning on the former company’s advanced technology roots.
“SunPower has a long history of innovation in solar cell and panel technology since its founding in 1985. By the time of the SPWR Initial Public Offering in 2005, SunPower had already developed the most technologically advanced solar panels in the industry and manufactured them on fully automated lines,” Rodgers said. “We now add to that record by virtue of our collaboration with REC, the current U.S. residential solar panel industry volume leader, known for durability, high quality standards, and innovation.”
