Maxeon Solar Panels Are Made in the USA & Mexico. Here's Why That Matters for Your Project.

Maxeon solar panels are manufactured in the United States (Maxeon 6) and Mexico (Maxeon 6 & 7). If you're an installer or developer evaluating them for a U.S. project with domestic content requirements, that's the headline. The rest is about what those factories actually mean for your supply chain, your timeline, and your risk profile.

I've been coordinating procurement for large-scale commercial and utility solar projects since 2020. In my role, I've handled over 200 module orders, including emergency replacements for projects where a supplier's factory in Southeast Asia suddenly couldn't ship. When clients started asking about Maxeon—specifically about manufacturing location and financial stability—I had to dig past the marketing. Here's what I found.

Country of Manufacture: The Short Version

As of my last project in Q4 2024, here's where Maxeon's production lines sit:

• Maxeon 6 (formerly SunPower Performance series): Manufactured in Mexicali, Mexico. This is their high-volume, cost-efficient line. I've personally confirmed this with their supply chain team—it's not a 'assembled in' loophole. The cells are sourced from their own technology, but the module assembly is in Mexico.
• Maxeon 7 (formerly SunPower A-Series / Maxeon Air): Manufactured in Portland, Oregon, USA. This is their premium line—the one with the 40-year warranty and the highest efficiency on the market (24.1% module efficiency, last I checked). The Portland fab is where they do the complex IBC cell production and layup.
• Maxeon 3: Previously manufactured in the Philippines, but as of 2024-2025, that line is being phased out or repurposed. I wouldn't spec it for a new project unless you're getting a clear statement from Maxeon on its current production status.

So, if you need a module that qualifies for the 10% domestic content bonus under the Inflation Reduction Act—at least the 'steel/iron' and 'manufactured product' criteria—the Maxeon 7 from Portland is a strong candidate. The Maxeon 6 from Mexico qualifies under USMCA, but not for the 'Made in USA' final assembly premium. That's a distinction a lot of developers miss.

The Maxeon Bankruptcy Question: What Actually Happened?

This is the first question I get from any risk-averse EPC. And it's fair—the name 'Maxeon' was born out of a spin-off from SunPower, which had its own well-documented financial drama. Let me be direct: Maxeon Solar Technologies is a separate, publicly-traded company (NASDAQ: MAXN) that has not filed for bankruptcy.

Here's the timeline, as I understand it:

1. 2020: SunPower split into two companies. The manufacturing side (solar cells, panels) became Maxeon. The downstream side (residential sales, leasing) kept the SunPower name. This was a strategic move to separate the capital-intensive manufacturing business from the installation business.
2. 2023: SunPower (the downstream company) faced financial strain—declining residential market, restructuring. Maxeon was operationally independent, but the name association caused confusion. I had a client in early 2024 ask if Maxeon panels were 'safe to buy' because they read about SunPower layoffs.
3. 2025 (current): Maxeon continues to operate. Their Q3 2024 earnings showed revenue challenges, but they also announced expanded production in the U.S. and a strategic partnership with a major Chinese cell supplier for non-U.S. markets. They're not going under tomorrow, but they are in a capital-intensive industry with thin margins.

Personal take: If I were ordering Maxeon 7 panels for a 2025 project, I'd feel confident about product delivery from the Portland plant. I'd still negotiate a letter of credit or performance bond for a large order—but I'd do that with any single-source module supplier, JinkoSolar included.

The Bigger Trend: China, U.S. Battery Storage Trade, and Why This Matters

You can't talk about Maxeon's manufacturing strategy without talking about the trade war. In 2024, the U.S. imposed tariffs on Chinese-made lithium-ion batteries for energy storage systems (ESS). The solar panel anti-circumvention tariffs on cells from China and Southeast Asia are also still in place through June 2025 (at least).

Here's the connection: a lot of developers are now looking for dual-use facilities—projects that pair solar + storage. If you're using a Chinese-made battery (like BYD or CATL), you're facing a 25% tariff on that component. But if you pair it with a U.S.-made solar panel (like Maxeon 7), you can still claim the domestic content adder on the panel side. That's not nothing—it's a 10% bonus on the tax credit for the whole system, which can be worth millions on a 100 MW project.

The battery tariff situation is volatile. By my count, there have been three major policy shifts on battery tariffs since 2022. We're hedging by sourcing battery cells from South Korea and Japan for our current projects—it adds complexity, but avoids the tariff. Maxeon's U.S. production is a hedge against this same uncertainty.

Mounting System Note: SHAD 3P Compatibility

I've seen a few RFPs specifying the SHAD 3P mounting system with Maxeon panels. Quick reality check: Maxeon's frame design (especially on the Maxeon 7) is proprietary. It's not a standard 35mm frame. You need to verify compatibility on a project-by-project basis.

In late 2023, we had a project where the engineer specified a SHAD 3P system for a 2 MW ground-mount array with Maxeon 6 panels. The SHAD clamps didn't fit the Maxeon frame profile. We had to order custom adapters from SHAD, which added 4 weeks to the schedule and about $0.02/W to the BOS cost. The lesson: don't assume compatibility. Get the mounting system vendor to send a written compatibility letter for the specific Maxeon model.

Context: How Many Wind Turbines Are in China? (And Why It's Relevant)

It sounds like a non-sequitur, but stick with me. As of 2024, China had over 200 GW of installed wind capacity, with projections suggesting 400+ GW by 2030. That's a massive, domestic manufacturing scale for renewables—wind turbines, solar cells, batteries. China is not just exporting panels; they're building a domestic energy system that gives them economies of scale no other country can match.

For Maxeon, this means competition on cell pricing is brutal. The 'cost per watt' of a Chinese-made PERC cell is now below $0.10. Maxeon's IBC technology is better (higher efficiency, better degradation), but it's more expensive to make. Their survival depends on selling into markets that value quality over absolute lowest cost—like U.S. commercial rooftops and European residential. Their U.S. factory is a strategic bet that 'Made in USA' is worth a premium to enough customers.

To be fair, I've seen plenty of projects where 'Made in USA' added $0.05/W with no measurable benefit. But in 2025, with domestic content adders and supply chain security concerns, it's not just a feel-good label. It's a financial instrument.

Boundary Conditions: When Maxeon Might Not Be the Right Choice

I've been pretty positive on Maxeon for U.S. projects, so let me balance that. Here are situations where I'd look elsewhere:

• Price-sensitive ground-mount in the Southwest: If your client is optimizing purely for lowest LCOE and doesn't care about domestic content, a Tier-1 bifacial TOPCon module from a Chinese manufacturer is probably cheaper. Maxeon's premium is real.
• Short timeline, large volume: Maxeon 7 production capacity from Portland is still ramping. If you need 50 MW in 8 weeks, you might not get it. We had a 6-week lead time for a 5 MW Maxeon 6 order in 2024—that's fast, but not as fast as a well-stocked distributor of mainstream modules.
• Projects outside the U.S. or Mexico: Maxeon's supply chain is optimized for the Americas. In Europe or Australia, you might pay extra logistics costs and get longer lead times. Their European market is smaller.

Also—and this is a pet peeve—watch out for the warranty language on resale panels. The 40-year warranty is for the original Maxeon customer. If you're buying leftover stock from a distributor, verify the warranty transfer. I've seen cases where the warranty was not transferable, which defeats one of the main value propositions.

Pricing and tariff rates as of late 2024 / early 2025. Verify current rates with your Maxeon sales rep and customs broker. The trade policy landscape changes fast—faster than I can keep up with, honestly.