SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept 09, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWRA, SPWRB), a manufacturer of high-efficiency solar cells, solar panels and solar systems, today announced it has launched the SunPower Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on empowering, inspiring and motivating a new generation of solar leaders in communities around the world. It is the first organization of its kind entirely funded by a major solar company.
"In the past few years, SunPower Corporation has grown to include operations on four continents," said SunPower CEO Tom Werner. "We work with more than 600 SunPower dealer partners installing SunPower systems on homes and businesses in North America, Europe and Australia, and directly developed more than 550 large-scale solar power systems worldwide. We established the SunPower Foundation to 'give back' through education and building stronger communities. It is our hope that the Foundation will encourage more people to consider how the electricity they use is generated, and the global potential of reliable, emission-free solar power to reduce the effects of climate change."
As its first initiative, the SunPower Foundation partnered with the 100 People Foundation to create 100 People Under the Sun, a program that provides classroom lesson plans to guide students to identify the ways they use energy every day and investigate the use of solar energy in their local communities. A series of 12 videos, available on the Internet, was also developed as part of the program. To date, 140 schools in 39 countries are participating, and the videos have been downloaded for viewing approximately 11,000 times.
"Today's young people are concerned about the real threat of global warming, and are looking to solutions such as solar power to reduce the damage brought on by over-dependence on fossil fuels," said Greg Holman, a 6th-grade teacher in Paradise, Calif. "I'm using The 100 People Under the Sun curriculum to help my students become energy leaders through education, awareness and community participation."
Other partners of the SunPower Foundation include Winrock International, Solar Electric Light Fund, Black Rock Solar, Grid Alternatives, and the American African Nuru Foundation. In addition to working with these partners to promote the use of solar power and develop and distribute solar power education tools, the SunPower Foundation is also partnering with them to provide SunPower employees opportunities to support community-based solar power initiatives around the world.
Online, the SunPower Foundation's website is supplemented by a presence on Facebook and Twitter.
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.
http://us.sunpowercorp.com
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