| Work Detail |
Panasonic has informed its installation partners that it will discontinue manufacturing products for the residential solar and storage markets, although it will continue to provide warranty and installation support for existing and ongoing projects. Panasonic informed its North American installation partners in an April 28 letter that it will discontinue its solar and battery storage business. The letter, signed by Naoki Kamo, president of Panasonic Eco Systems North America, was shared in full by an installer on Reddit and partially posted on the companys website. This was a strategic decision, not a reflection of the technologys performance or the commitment of our partners like you, the letter stated. While we continue to believe in the potential of solar energy and energy storage, it is no longer the right business for us at this time. Panasonic is committed to honoring all warranties, including those for systems not fully installed, and pledged to support customers with clear guidance on third-party warranty coverage. Support will continue through the companys website and a dedicated email channel. Although it is exiting the residential solar and storage market, Panasonic continues to invest in electric vehicle battery manufacturing. Its $4 billion battery facility in Kansas, announced in 2022, is scheduled for completion in the first half of 2025. The company also remains active in other clean energy technologies, including heat pumps. This announcement marks the end of Panasonics role in the solar industry, a position it cemented after acquiring Sanyo in 2009. Sanyo, a pioneer in heterojunction solar cell technology, was fully integrated into Panasonic in 2011. Its HIT (heterojunction with intrinsic thin film) modules, launched in 1997, were the worlds first commercially available heterojunction solar panels. According to the company, the solar cells used are a hybrid with a unique structure composed of a thin monocrystalline silicon wafer surrounded by ultra-thin layers of amorphous silicon, a design praised for its high-temperature and real-world performance. Following the rebranding of Sanyos HIT modules under the Panasonic name, the company remained a major player in residential solar, eventually expanding its product line to include Evervolt battery systems and all-black HJT modules with conversion efficiencies of over 22%. Despite its solid technology, Panasonic gradually shifted from in-house manufacturing to OEM ( Original Equipment Manufacturer) partnerships as cost competition, particularly from Chinese suppliers, squeezed margins and reshaped the global solar market. In 2021, the company officially exited the solar panel manufacturing business. A final launch under the Panasonic brand followed, even after having sold its solar module intellectual property. To this day, Panasonics legacy modules remain among the best-selling in the US residential market. |
