Empire to Install Arizona's Largest Commercial Solar Rooftop System

MESA, Ariz., April 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Empire Power Systems (EPS) today announced that it will install Arizona's largest commercial rooftop solar power system to date on an 850,000-square-foot building near 27th Avenue and Buckeye Road in Phoenix.  The 2.4-megawatt SunPower T5 Solar Roof Tile system chosen for this rooftop represents approximately 6.5 acres of solar panels.  The installation is scheduled to begin immediately.

The building is owned and operated by Cowley Companies. Last used as a warehouse for Fleming Foods, it houses 250,000 square feet of refrigerator and freezer space and is ideal for local or national foodservice tenants. The new solar power system will allow Cowley to provide tenants with electricity that is not only renewable, but also about 25 percent less expensive than typical industrial electric rates.  

"With rising energy costs, it just made sense to power this warehouse with clean, renewable energy while lowering our electricity bills," said Mike Cowley, president, Cowley Companies.  "This particular warehouse is leased to our clients, some of whom are in the frozen food business, and the decision to install solar on the roof also supports their sustainability goals."

The new system will feature the SunPower T5 Solar Roof Tile, the solar industry's first non-penetrating rooftop product that combines a high-efficiency SunPower solar panel, frame and mounting system into a single pre-engineered unit. Tilted at a five-degree angle, the T5 roof tile system approximately doubles the energy generated per square meter compared to systems that are mounted flat onto commercial rooftops.

"We are pleased to partner with EPS to provide the T5 roof tile technology for this significant project in Arizona," said Jim Pape, president, residential and commercial business group for SunPower Corp.  "Our proven technology and high-efficiency solar panels will help Cowley Companies to maximize the emission-free solar power generated on the roof, as well as savings on electricity costs."

The solar installation will be facilitated, in part, from a production-based incentive provided by Arizona Public Service (APS).  Through the Renewable Energy Incentive Program, APS offers incentives to customers who add renewable energy systems to their homes or business. The program is funded by APS customers and approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission.

EPS has a 60-year history as a provider of primary and back-up power generation systems to hospitals, municipalities, schools, data centers, telecommunication centers and manufacturers. The company launched a renewable energies division in 2008 and has distributor agreements with solar industry leaders, such as SunPower.  

"Providing reliable power is what we do, so solar power was a natural extension of our business," explained EPS General Manager Brett Burns. "Agreements with companies like SunPower enable us to provide commercial solar options that combine our expertise with the best products on the market."

The EPS solar team has over 120 years of collective experience in all facets of distributed power generation: design and engineering, fabrication, installation, maintenance and technical support. Their lead engineer founded the solar test and research center for one of Arizona's largest utilities and installed the state's first utility scale solar project in 1982.

About Empire Power Systems

Empire Power Systems (EPS) provides sales, service, design and installation services for industrial power generation equipment and commercial solar systems. EPS offers solar systems for both off-grid and grid-connected systems. Their turnkey services include business and utility analyses, custom design, procurement, design and engineering, installation and service and maintenance. They also assist in preparing customer documentation for governmental and utility rebate/incentive programs.

As a division of Empire Southwest — the authorized Caterpillar dealer for Arizona, southeastern California and northern Mexico — EPS has provided primary and back-up power systems and temperature control products to southwestern hospitals, municipalities, telecommunications companies, educational institutions, military establishments and high-tech manufacturers for over 50 years.  EPS is headquartered at 801 N. 44th Avenue, Phoenix. For more information, visit www.empirecat.com.

About Cowley Companies, Inc.

Cowley Companies, Inc., is a Phoenix-based real estate investment firm that has been in business since 1967.  Their real estate investment portfolio includes industrial properties consisting of approximately 1.2 million square feet of space as well as finished lots and vacant land in Arizona, Texas, Colorado and Idaho. The company's offices are at 1242 East Jackson Street, Phoenix, Arizona, 85034.   

About SunPower Corporation

Founded in 1985, SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWRA, SPWRB) designs, manufactures and delivers the planet's most powerful solar technology broadly available today. Residential, business, government and utility customers rely on the company's experience and proven results to maximize return on investment. With headquarters in San Jose, Calif., SunPower has offices in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. For more information, visit www.sunpowercorp.com.

About Arizona Public Service

APS, Arizona's largest and longest-serving electricity utility, serves about 1.1 million customers in 11 of the state's 15 counties. With headquarters in Phoenix, APS is the principal subsidiary of Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (NYSE: PNW)  

Contact: Steven Gotfried – 602-250-3040

SunPower's Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements that do not represent historical facts and may be based on underlying assumptions. SunPower use words and phrases such as "to install," "will," "rising," "lowering," and "are estimated," to identify forward-looking statements in this press release, including forward-looking statements regarding:  (a) construction schedule; (b) environmental benefits; and (c) cost savings. Such forward-looking statements are based on information available to SunPower as of the date of this release and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, some beyond SunPower's control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by these forward-looking statements, including risks and uncertainties such as:  (i) construction difficulties or potential delays in the project implementation process; (ii) unanticipated delays or difficulties securing necessary permits, licenses or other governmental approvals; (iii) the risk of continuation of supply of products and components from suppliers; (iv) unanticipated problems with deploying the system on the sites; (v) actual electricity generation; (vi) the actual energy consumption rate; (vii) unexpected changes in utility service rates; (viii) variations in carbon dioxide emissions reductions; and (ix) other risks described in SunPower's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 3, 2010, and its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing SunPower's views as of any subsequent date, and SunPower is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any responsibility to, update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SunPower is a registered trademark of SunPower Corp. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE SunPower Corp.