COLTON and SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept.
23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Colton Joint Unified School
District (CJUSD) and SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWR) are celebrating
the upcoming construction of SunPower® Helix™ carport
systems at 28 schools with a kickoff event at Grand Terrace
High School on Saturday, Sept.
24.
The SunPower Helix carport systems will generate approximately
6.1 megawatts (MW) of clean energy and are estimated to provide
CJUSD with more than $35 million in
electricity savings over the next 25 years. On completion, SunPower
estimates that 73 percent of the district's electricity will be
provided through the SunPower Helix carport systems. CJUSD will buy
power at a competitive rate under a power purchase agreement (PPA)
with SunPower and will own the renewable energy credits associated
with the systems.
The project also features two key elements of SunPower's Smart
Energy product suite. SunPower will provide 1.1 MW of battery
storage systems at seven schools to reduce the district's demand
charges at these sites. SunPower will provide the battery systems
under a no-money-down Battery Service Agreement that includes a
guarantee of peak demand reductions. In addition to the batteries,
SunPower will provide its EnergyLink™ Enterprise energy management
software, giving CJUSD powerful insights about its energy use, and
accurate reporting about financial savings from SunPower's solar
and storage systems.
"This is a truly great project that will allow us to protect the
long-term financial health of the district and redirect tens of
millions of dollars in future revenue toward other district
priorities," said CJUSD Superintendent Jerry Almendarez. "It also allows us to set an
example of being environmentally responsible and to teach our
students about clean energy and sustainability."
"Colton Joint Unified School District will gain significant
value for many years to come through the powerful combination of a
power purchase agreement and SunPower systems, storage and
software," said Howard Wenger,
SunPower president, business units. "School districts work hard to
maximize every dollar, so helping reduce electricity costs through
innovative solutions, while inspiring students with the great
potential of solar power, is extremely rewarding."
In addition to generating power, the project will also include
much-need shade for parking and shelters for students on many
campuses. It also reflects the district's ongoing commitment to
both fiscal and environmental responsibility. CJUSD continually
works to reduce energy consumption at schools and other district
facilities through its energy management program. The district has
increasingly moved from more traditional landscaping such as grass
to more drought-tolerant designs using elements such as native
plants, concrete and artificial turf.
SunPower will install high efficiency SunPower direct current
(DC) solar panels, the most efficient on the market today. They are
the world's first solar panels to achieve a Cradle to Cradle
Certified™ Silver designation for the sustainable practices and
materials used in their manufacturing.
Construction of the carports will take place through 2017,
sequenced in three phases to minimize impacts on school operations.
Phase 1 schools to be completed by the end of 2016 include
Bloomington High School, Grand Terrace High School, Joe Baca Middle School and Ruth Harris Middle School.
SunPower is a leader in delivering innovative energy solutions
to California school districts. At
23 school districts across the state, the company has installed
solar power systems totaling more than 90 megawatts which,
according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), is
enough to power 22,500
average California homes.
About Colton Joint Unified School District
The Colton Joint Unified School District serves the educational
needs of more than 23,000 students, grades K-12. It includes 18
elementary schools, four middle schools, three comprehensive high
schools, one alternative school, one continuation high school and a
preschool center. CJUSD covers an area of 48 square miles of mostly
San Bernardino County in Inland
Southern California and includes all or parts of seven different
cities. CJUSD leadership places a high value on community
involvement and collaboration between employee groups.
About SunPower
As one of the world's most innovative and sustainable energy
companies, SunPower (Nasdaq: SPWR) provides a diverse group of
customers with complete solar solutions and services. Residential
customers, businesses, governments, schools and utilities around
the globe rely on SunPower's more than 30 years of proven
experience. From the first flip of the switch, SunPower delivers
maximum value and superb performance throughout the long life of
every solar system. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, SunPower has
dedicated, customer-focused employees in Africa, Asia,
Australia, Europe, and North and South America. For more information about how
SunPower is changing the way our world is powered,
visit www.sunpower.com.
SunPower's Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within
the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995, including, but not limited to, statements regarding expected
project timelines, projected energy output, and expected cost
savings. These forward-looking statements are based on our current
assumptions, expectations and beliefs and involve substantial risks
and uncertainties that may cause results, performance or
achievement to materially differ from those expressed or implied by
these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or
contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to:
regulatory changes and the availability of economic incentives
promoting use of solar energy, challenges inherent in constructing
and maintaining certain of our large projects, and fluctuations or
declines in the performance of our solar panels and other products
and solutions. A detailed discussion of these factors and other
risks that affect our business is included in filings we make with
the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from time to time,
including our most recent report on Form 10-K, particularly under
the heading "Risk Factors." Copies of these filings are available
online from the SEC or on the SEC Filings section of our Investor
Relations website at investors.sunpowercorp.com. All
forward-looking statements in this press release are based on
information currently available to us, and we assume no obligation
to update these forward-looking statements in light of new
information or future events.
©2016 SunPower Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
SUNPOWER, the SUNPOWER logo, ENERGYLINK and HELIX are trademarks or
registered trademarks of SunPower Corporation in the U.S. and other
countries as well. Cradle to Cradle Certified™ is a
certification mark licensed by the Cradle to Cradle Products
Innovation Institute. Cradle to Cradle Certified™ is a
multi-attribute certification program that assesses products and
materials for safety to human and environmental health, design for
future use cycles, and sustainable manufacturing.
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