SunPower High Efficiency Solar Panels Selected by Six Teams Participating in the 2011 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon

SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWRA and SPWRB), a Silicon Valley-based manufacturer of world-leading, high efficiency solar cells, solar panels and solar systems, today announced that six of the 19 university teams competing in the 2011 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon have designed their solar homes using SunPower's high performance solar panels. SunPower solar panels offer the highest efficiency rating of any solar panels available on the market today, providing maximum power from a limited roof space, a key design requirement for the decathletes, as well as residences and businesses everywhere.

The following six teams selected SunPower high efficiency solar systems for their homes:

• Team Florida International University (Florida International University) with perFORM[D]ance House, selected the SunPower® E19 / 318 Solar Panel
• Team Illinois (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) with Re_home, chose the SunPower® E18 / 230 Solar Panel
• Team Massachusetts (University of Massachusetts at Lowell and Massachusetts College of Art and Design) with 4D Home, featuring the SunPower® E19 / 240 Solar Panel
• Team Middlebury College (Middlebury College) with Self-Reliance, using the SunPower® E18 / 225 Solar Panel
• Team New York (City College of New York) with Solar Roofpod, selected the SunPower® E19 / 240 Solar Panels
• Team Purdue (Purdue University) with INhome, will install the SunPower® E19 / 238 Solar Panels

The Solar Decathlon challenges each of the teams in ten contests to design, build and operate the most attractive, effective and energy-efficient solar-powered home. Each team's home is designed with the energy needs of a typical household in mind.

"Since 2005, winners of the solar decathlon have chosen SunPower solar panels, the most reliable and efficient on the market today, for their solar homes, and in the 2009 event, SunPower panels were used by the top three finishers," said SunPower CEO Tom Werner. "SunPower is proud once again to support the skilled and passionate student decathletes as they compete in the 2011 Solar Decathlon and we wish them the best."

The opening ceremony is scheduled for September 22 at 10:00 a.m. EDT in the National Mall's West Potomac Park in Washington, D.C., with the competition set to begin the following day. From September 23 to October 2, the public is invited to tour the houses at no charge.

The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon is a program that aims to help the visiting public learn about the benefits of applying sustainable, energy efficient and cost-saving features to their own homes. The first Solar Decathlon was held in 2002, and competitions now take place every other year.

About SunPower

SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWRA, SPWRB) designs, manufactures and delivers the highest efficiency, highest reliability solar panels and systems available today. Residential, business, government and utility customers rely on the company's quarter century of experience and guaranteed performance to provide maximum return on investment throughout the life of the solar system. Headquartered 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.