SunPower from Maxeon Solar Technologies

Power Controls, Maxeon Panels, Norway

Built to endure harsh environments, proven in the field, harnessed by the sun and ethically sourced, products from Maxeon Solar Technologies assist with better efficiency and favorable ESG outcomes.

Mine Australia sits down with Chris O’Brien  - Maxeon VP of Sales for APAC and LATAM and Matthew Kasdin, Maxeon Director, Senior Counsel to discuss the company’s solution for the mining industry.

Maxeon is Powering Positive Change™ by ensuring an ethically sourced supply chain, one of the many reasons for it being listed amongst the global top 100 most sustainable companies¹ and leading the way in sustainability in the solar industry.  

Solar power certainly has strong advantages, the most obvious being its reliance on a heavily abundant source: the sun. GlobalData’s ESG report focus on solar explains: ”Solar energy offers a clean, environmentally friendly, abundant, and inexhaustible source of energy spread widely across the globe”.

Not only does Maxeon’s technology harness an inexhaustible energy source, the company also provides customers an ethically sourced supply chain verified by third parties, with the extensive measures taken by the company being highlighted in its modern slavery statement. Maxeon’s leadership in ethical standards for solar production differentiates it from competitors as it comes at a time where it is reported that there is a growth of modern slavery in the overall renewables supply chain and a need to “combat the problem before it becomes an endemic” according to reporter Oliver Gordon from Mining Technology in June 2023.

Matt Kasdin: “Sustainability is very much of a journey. We understand that coal is still being mined but why can’t they be clean in other aspects as well? Why shouldn’t they incorporate solar into their operations? What we want to do is make the mining industry as clean as possible by providing them with the most ethically made and durable product in the market.” 

Chris O’Brien: “We’re working with all facets of the mining industry, to help them improve their footprint themselves.

Chris O’Brien: “In Australia, SunPower from Maxeon Solar Technologies products have been used in remote applications, particularly in Western Australia for over 15 years. In fact, SunPower commenced business in Australia from Perth, as the initial solar market in Australia was providing energy to the remote sites of WA.

Maxeon solar cell architecture is fundamentally different from conventional solar, and consequently our solar panels have been preferred by many miners. Our unique architecture provides a cell that is far more robust and suited for the harsh environments associated with mining applications. Therefore, deploying Maxeon technology to remote locations provides confidence that service teams will not be called back to service systems made from conventional solar that are susceptible to cell breakages through normal temperature cycles seen in outback areas.”

Chris O’Brien: “In fact, the first large scale remote power systems deployed in Western Australia were SunPower systems. SunPower built systems for Horizon Power at Nullagine & Marble Bar (the hottest place in Australia), back in 2010. The energy from these systems displaced energy produced by diesel powered generators.”

Chris O’Brien: “Yes, approaching 14 years of solar power using SunPower modules.”

SunPower modules are manufactured for harsh environments, the technologically advanced cell architecture, ongoing innovation, and ethically sourced supply chain ensure better efficiency while being sustainable.

Chris O'Brien is Maxeon’s Vice President Sales for APAC and LATAM. During his tenure with SunPower before continuing with Maxeon in 2020, he has covered different sales roles becoming Managing Director for Australia and Vice President APAC. Mr. O’Brien has over a decade of experience in the solar industry. Prior to that, Mr. O’Brien held senior leadership positions at Pneutech, the largest Australian owned and operated pneumatic and automation component supplier, Marlin Insulation Solutions, supplier of fire protection systems, and Legris Australasia, provider of low-pressure fluid handling connection solutions. Before, he has covered different roles, from Regional Sales Manager to Foundry Product Manager to Commercial Director SE Asia, at Vesuvius, a global leader in metal flow engineering. Mr. O’Brien holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Information Management from Deakin University and an MBA from Charles Sturt University. 

Matt Kasdin is Director, Senior Counsel at Maxeon Solar Technologies, overseeing key legal, operations, compliance and ESG functions. Maxeon is a spin-off from SunPower Corporation and a NASDAQ-listed company based in Singapore. A lawyer by training with over 20 years of experience, Matt is passionate about human rights, labor rights, environmental rights, anti-corruption, sustainable supply chain management, public company reporting on ESG and other current and emerging ESG topics. 

Previously based in New York, the United Kingdom, Africa, Latin America and all over Asia, Matt is now based in Singapore and is at the forefront of using legal principles to advance the sustainability agenda. Not only has he practiced at Latham & Watkins, one of the world’s leading international law firms, but he also was acting Head of Legal at the United Nations Global Compact and has extensive experience with organizations advancing impact and responsible investing including the Impact Investment Exchange (IIX) and Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). 

His previous engagements include projects for the World Bank and OECD, as well as representing leading investment banks and private equity firms in billion-dollar cross border transactions. Matt co-authored an award-winning law review article on corruption published in the Texas Journal of International Law and edited United Nations publications on embedding human rights in business practices. He also has spoken at events convened by intergovernmental organisations such as United Nations Secretariat and OECD and institutes of higher learning such as National University of Singapore. A graduate of Northwestern Pritzker School of Law with a specialisation in International Law, Matt was awarded the US State Department Fulbright Scholar advising on legal reform, appointed the Executive Editor of the Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business and served as a member of the UNDP Climate Change Stakeholder Advisory Committee for Asia. 

1. Learn more at: https://www.corporateknights.com/rankings/global-100-rankings/2023-global-100-rankings/2023-global-100-most-sustainable-companies/