U.S.-based solar panel maker SunPower (SPWRA) is the ideal partner for French oil major Total SA (TOT), which was looking for a partner to expand into the solar energy business, the French company's Chief Financial Officer Patrick de la Chevardiere said Friday.

SunPower, which was founded in 1985, has a technological edge over its rivals thanks as its solar cells, which are more efficient than the ones from its competitors, de la Chevardiere said in an interview with French radio station Radio Classique.

SunPower's products have more capacity for the same surface.

Late Thursday, Total announced a public tender offer to acquire up to 60% of SunPower. The deal values SunPower's equity at $2.3 billion.

Total maintains an interest in nuclear energy despite the questioning of the energy source that followed the catastrophe at Japan 's Fukushima nuclear plant.

Regarding shale gas, de la Chevardiere insisted that his company would prefer the government let companies explore for the gas in France , so that there is an estimate of the reserves, before voting a ban on the gas.
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