SunPower Foundation Supports Rural Electrification and Educational Opportunities in the Philippines

SAN JOSE, Calif., April 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- On the Philippine island of Mindanao today, the SunPower Foundation, a non-profit organization funded by SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWRA, SPWRB), announced its commitment to support the third phase of the Alliance for Mindanao Off-Grid Renewable Energy (AMORE III), a program to support renewable energy development, education and training in the region.

AMORE III is a partnership of the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Philippine Department of Energy, SunPower Foundation and Winrock International.

The SunPower Foundation has committed to provide technology, equipment and volunteers for the installation of solar power systems on 150 schools serving approximately 135,000 students. The solar systems are expected to power lighting, computers and Internet connectivity. The Foundation will also participate in efforts to achieve the electrification of 12,000 homes with solar power, micro-hydro and other renewable energy systems.

"SunPower has been an active partner in the AMORE program, bringing solar electrification to rural areas in the Philippines, since 2004. We have provided volunteers and solar technology for installations on approximately 6,000 homes and schools to date," said Jan Soderstrom, SunPower chief marketing officer and member of the SunPower Foundation board of directors. "We are very pleased to continue our affiliation with this third phase of the program, which supports the mission of the SunPower Foundation to 'give back' through education and building stronger communities."

In addition to facilitating the delivery of solar power systems, the SunPower Foundation's participation in AMORE III helps provide energy education activities designed to interest students in renewable energy and environmental issues, and careers in clean energy and other technical fields. The Foundation will also support AMORE III solar technical training activities to develop a new workforce of solar technicians and engineers.

The SunPower Foundation support for AMORE III will begin by the end of this year, and continue into 2014.

About AMORE

The Alliance for Mindanao Off-grid Renewable Energy (AMORE) program is a rural electrification program that energizes remote, off-grid, and mostly conflict-affected, rural communities in Mindanao using stand-alone renewable energy systems such as solar photovoltaic and micro-hydro technology.  AMORE III, which is the third phase of the AMORE program, is a public-private sector collaboration between USAID, Philippine DOE, SunPower Foundation, and Winrock International. The Foundation is the principal private sector partner for AMORE 3, and Winrock—a US-based non-profit organization—serves as the program implementer.

About the SunPower Foundation

The SunPower Foundation is a non-profit organization focused on empowering, inspiring and motivating a new generation of solar leaders in global communities.  Established by SunPower Corp., the SunPower Foundation partners with key non-profit agencies to develop and distribute education tools that support community-based solar power initiatives around the world.  For more information, please visit the SunPower Foundation website at http://www.sunpower.org/.

About SunPower Corp.

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.

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

SOURCE SunPower Corp.