Maxeon Solar Technologies has confirmed the resilience of its Maxeon Interdigitated Back Contact (IBC) panels against damaging hotspots. Maxeon's engineering team conducted a competitive assessment at their California R&D lab, testing solar panels under full-sun conditions to determine hotspot formation speed and severity. The Maxeon 7 IBC panels stayed an average of 67 °C cooler than ribbon-based back contact, HJT, and TOPCon panels, reducing long-term degradation risks. Under simulated bypass diode failure, Maxeon IBC cells limited heat build-up, preventing severe backsheet damage. While competing technologies failed, Maxeon 7 IBC panels maintained stable temperatures even without bypass diode protection.