SunPower Partners with E.ON Climate and Renewables to Build a 3.4 Megawatt Solar Power Plant in Italy

MILAN, Dec. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWRA, SPWRB) and E.ON Climate and Renewables Italia Solar Srl announced today a contract for SunPower to design and build a 3.4-megawatt ground-mounted solar power plant in Italy's Lazio region. Construction on the plant will start this year and is expected to be completed in April 2011.

"Our objective is to provide a secure, affordable and climate-friendly energy supply through investment in new technologies and renewable sources," said Christophe Jurczak, director of PV at E.ON. "We're pleased to partner with SunPower on this important plant, as we expand our operations to serve Italy's rapidly growing solar market."

At the site, SunPower will mount high efficiency SunPower E19 solar panels on the SunPower® T0 Tracker system. The Tracker follows the sun during the day and delivers up to 25 percent more energy than conventional fixed-tilt solar power systems, while significantly reducing land use requirements. Environmental and visual impacts of the system will be minimized by the Trackers' concrete-free pier foundations, and a maximum system height of two meters.  

"E.ON, a recognized global leader in the development of renewable energy, understands that SunPower technology maximizes return on investment by delivering the most energy per hectare," said Yoram Amiga, president of utility and power plants international at SunPower.  "In partnership with E.ON, we look forward to delivering SunPower's superior quality, reliability and performance as we serve the local community with clean, renewable power."

In 2009, SunPower installed a 1.3-megawatt rooftop solar power system at an E.ON power station in Sardinia, Italy.

Worldwide, SunPower has more than 650 megawatts of large-scale solar power systems installed or under contract, including more than 225 megawatts of operational power plants in Europe. SunPower is currently constructing Italy's largest solar power plant, the 72-megawatt Montalto di Castro solar power park, located in the Lazio region of Italy near Rome.

Editors' Note:

The capacity of power plants in this release is described in approximate megawatts on an alternating current (AC) basis unless otherwise noted.  On a direct current (DC) basis, the E.ON ground mounted solar power plant is approximately 4 megawatts in capacity, and the Montalto di Castro solar park totals approximately 85 megawatts in capacity.

About E.ON

E.ON is one of the world's leading power and gas companies. With annual sales of more than EUR82 billion and over 88,000 employees, it is already one of the world's largest investor-owned power and gas companies.

E.ON Climate & Renewables, headquartered in Dusseldorf, Germany, is responsible for E.ON Group's global renewables and climate protection activities. E.ON is investing EUR8 billion in renewable generation and climate protection projects between 2007- 2012, and will play a leading role in the development of the renewables industry worldwide. E.ON currently has 3.6 GW of renewable capacity in operation which makes the company a leading global renewable energy player. www.eon.com

About SunPower

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.