SAN JOSE, Calif., May 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- SunPower Corp.
(NASDAQ:SPWR) has broken ground on a 28-megawatt solar photovoltaic
system at Vandenberg Air Force Base near Lompoc, California, a project expected to
create about 150 jobs at peak of construction. Upon operation, it's
anticipated to be the largest behind-the-meter solar power system
in the Air Force where 100 percent of the energy generated will be
consumed onsite.
"A solar project that is grid-connected to the Base enables us
to meet our electric demand with renewable energy and increase our
energy security," said Ken Domako,
Chief, Portfolio Optimization, Vandenberg Air Force Base. "We look
forward to increasing the Air Force's energy independence with
competitively priced, dependable solar from
SunPower."
The SunPower® solar power system will be installed on land that
has gone unused since 2007, just outside the gates of Vandenberg
where Air Force housing once stood. The Base will purchase energy
generated by the plant under a power purchase agreement (PPA),
providing Vandenberg with competitive, fixed electricity rates over
the next 25 years. The Air Force will retain all environmental
credits associated with the system.
"The Air Force has an aggressive target to meet that requires
full energy assurance for key missions," said Dan Gerdes, Air Force Civil Engineer Center
rates and renewables division chief. "By diversifying our energy
mix at Vandenberg to include SunPower's high efficiency solar
technology, we're confident we'll have the electrons we need, when
we need them, creating long-term value for our
operations."
Once complete, the system will provide a projected 54,500
megawatt hours of energy annually, meeting about 35 percent of
Vandenberg's total energy needs. It will also contribute to the
entire Air Force's goal of meeting 25 percent of its electricity
demand with renewables.
"SunPower is pleased to offer a cost- competitive renewable
energy solution to the U.S. Air Force, which will provide
increasing economic and environmental value to the Vandenberg Air
Force Base for 25 years," said Nam
Nguyen, SunPower executive vice president. "We congratulate
the Air Force for its commitment to renewable energy, and are proud
to help the Air Force achieve its sustainability goals with
SunPower's innovative solar solutions."
As a trusted solar advisor to military agencies, SunPower has
designed and installed solar power systems at dozens of federal
government facilities. Most notable projects include a
13.2-megawatt and a 15-megawatt installation at Nellis Air Force
Base in Nevada – operating since
2007 and 2016 respectively – as well as a 13.78-megawatt
installation at NAWS China Lake in California – operating since 2012.
For more information on how solar can benefit government
entities, visit SunPower at booth 2006 during this week's 2017
Joint Engineer Training Conference and Expo in Columbus, Ohio. Learn about SunPower's
experience helping federal agencies go solar by visiting
www.sunpower.com/government.
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.
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,
relative generating capacity, and projected job creation. 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.
©2017 SunPower Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
SUNPOWER and the SUNPOWER logo are registered trademarks of
SunPower Corporation in the U.S. and other countries as well.
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SOURCE SunPower Corp.