SunPower Corporation has unveiled its newest solar panel, which it says offers significantly higher power output and conversion efficiency than its current products. The new SPR-315 solar panel utilizes the company’s newly developed 22-percent-efficient Gen 2 solar cells and carries a rated power output of 315 watts.

SunPower will showcase its SPR-315 high power solar panel at this week’s Solar Power 2006 Conference and Expo in San Jose, Calif. The new design incorporates 96 of SunPower’s Gen 2 solar cells that offer improved panel efficiency through a combination of enhanced cell architecture and improved packing density. Compared with conventional solar panels, the new SPR-315 allows customers to generate up to 50 percent more power per square foot of roof area with half as many panels, according to the company.

The new SPR-315 solar panel is planned for commercial availability in the Spring of 2007.