SAN JOSE, Calif., June 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- SunPower
(NASDAQ:SPWR), one of the world's most innovative and sustainable
energy companies headquartered in California's Silicon Valley, has joined the
Mission SolarStratos expedition as the exclusive solar cell
provider for its aircraft. Within the next two years, SolarStratos
is expected to be the first solar-powered plane to soar above the
Earth's troposphere and into the stratosphere – flying twice as
high as a commercial airliner's typical cruising altitude – without
a drop of fossil fuel.
"SolarStratos has an opportunity to push the limits of what we
think is humanly possible and prove that renewable energy has the
capacity to power our lives while preserving our planet," said
SolarStratos President and Pilot Raphael Domjan. "We are fortunate
to energize SolarStratos with SunPower's industry-leading solar
technology and look forward to further showcasing the value of
innovative and reliable solar solutions for the world to
see."
A passionate, award-winning adventurer with experience bringing
record-breaking projects to fruition, Domjan was the founder and
the expedition leader of PlanetSolar – also powered by SunPower
solar technology – which became the first boat to sail around the
world on solar energy alone in 2012. This September, Domjan will
attempt his first world-record flight, reaching 33,000 feet in a
SolarStratos prototype plane.
SunPower® Maxeon® solar cells were selected for SolarStratos
aircrafts because they are highly efficient, durable, lightweight,
and about as thin as a human hair. On the next generation
SolarStratos plane, SunPower's 24-percent efficient cells will be
incorporated into the wings and horizontal stabilizer to power an
electrical engine and charge a 20-kilowatt hour (kWh) lithium-ion
battery for energy supply when the sun is out of sight.
Next Generation SolarStratos Plane at a Glance
- Length: 8.5 meters – about 30 feet, or the distance from the
end zone to the 10-yard line on an American football field
- Wingspan: 24.8 meters – about 81 feet, or the length of two
standard city buses
- Weight: 450 kilograms – about as heavy as a grand piano; to
make SolarStratos its lightest, the cabin will not be pressurized,
requiring pilots to wear astronaut suits that are pressurized by
solar energy
- Engine: 32-kilowatt electrical engine, about one-third the size
of what would power an electric vehicle
- Energy: 22 square meters of SunPower Maxeon solar cells, each
reaching 22 to 24 percent efficiency
- Batteries: One 20-kilowatt lithium ion battery
- Autonomy: Self-generates electricity with solar to power the
plane for more than 12 hours
"Soaring at such heights requires an unprecedented level of
solar performance and durability, making SunPower's unique solar
technology a natural choice for SolarStratos," said Tom Werner, SunPower CEO and chairman of the
board. "The plane features the same extraordinary cells as those
found in our high efficiency solar panels powering homes and
businesses here on land – a true testament to our innovation as a
solar leader."
In addition to supporting SolarStratos and the solar boat
PlanetSolar, SunPower has a pioneering legacy of powering unique
solar projects. In 1993, SunPower's high-efficiency solar cells
drove a Honda solar car to win the World Solar Challenge from
Darwin to Adelaide in Australia a full day ahead of the second-place
finisher. The company also worked with NASA to develop the unmanned
Helios solar plane that flew to a record altitude of 96,863 feet,
also powered by SunPower high-efficiency solar cells. Most
recently, SunPower helped Solar Impulse 2 – a single-seater solar
plane – complete its groundbreaking flight around the world with
zero fuel, the first for an aircraft of its kind.
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 projected energy output,
product performance and efficiency, and project plans and timeline.
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, competition and market conditions in
the solar and general energy industry, 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 reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q,
particularly under the heading "Risk Factors." A copy of this
filing is 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.
© 2018 SunPower Corporation. All Rights Reserved. SUNPOWER, the
SUNPOWER logo and MAXEON are registered trademarks of SunPower
Corporation in the U.S. and other countries as well. All other
trademarks and logos are properties of their respective owners.
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SOURCE SunPower Corp.