SAN JOSE, Calif., May. 18, 2006 /PRNewswire/ -- SunPower Corporation (NASDAQ: SPWR), a Silicon Valley-based manufacturer of the world's highest efficiency, commercially available solar cells and solar panels, today announced that its industry-leading solar panels were chosen to power the Sunset Celebration 2006 Idea House. Sunset will welcome visitors to the Idea House for five weekends, beginning with Sunset's Celebration weekend on May 20, 2006.
Built at Sunset's headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., the Celebration Idea House is a 2,400-square-foot, one-story house showcasing design and decorating ideas that embody the West's indoor-outdoor lifestyle. The Celebration Idea House serves as a gallery of modern materials and ground-breaking ideas and building technologies.
This year's Idea House includes the best-of-breed in building materials, amenities and technology, all selected by Sunset Magazine for their quality and high performance. SunPower's beautifully designed, all-black, high-efficiency solar panels provide up to 50 percent more power per unit area than conventional solar technologies.
"With electric utility costs soaring, builders and home owners are increasingly aware of the financial benefits of solar power," said Peter Aschenbrenner, vice president of sales and marketing at SunPower. "Sunset's 2006 Idea House is a perfect location to showcase how SunPower's solar technology marries beautiful design with intelligent engineering."
The SunPower solar system on the 2006 Idea House includes 16 aesthetically appealing SunPower solar panels. According to ConSol, leader of the Building Industry Research Alliance (BIRA) and part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Building America team involved in the Zero Energy Homes program, the Sunset 2006 Idea House is estimated to have an annual electric demand of approximately 5,800 kilowatt-hours-per-year. The SunPower solar power system can provide roughly 80 percent of this expected demand, significantly reducing the cost of utility electricity purchased for the home.
"SunPower's inclusion in the Celebration Idea House fits beautifully with our goal to create and highlight the very best in design aesthetics and technology for the home," said Shannon Thompson, Home Programs Director at Sunset Magazine. "SunPower's solar panels add to the home's overall look and feel and exemplify today's most advanced energy solutions."
In addition to the Celebration Idea House, both Microsoft's Silicon Valley campus and the Millennium Towers in lower Manhattan, New York, have recently selected SunPower solar panels. Home and business owners can learn more about SunPower at www.sunpowercorp.com.
About Sunset Magazine
Sunset magazine is the premier guide to Western living, covering the newest and best ideas in Western home design and landscaping, food and entertaining, and regional travel in 13 Western states. The magazine has five zoned editions and is read by five million people each month. Sunset Publishing Corp. is part of Birmingham, Ala.-based Southern Progress Corp., a Time Inc. subsidiary and leader in lifestyle information and products.
About SunPower
SunPower Corporation designs and manufactures high-efficiency silicon solar cells and solar panels based on an all-back contact cell design. SunPower's solar cells and panels generate up to 50 percent more power per unit area than conventional solar technologies and have a uniquely attractive, all-black appearance. For more information on SunPower or solar technology, please visit the SunPower website at http://www.sunpowercorp.com/. SunPower is a majority-owned subsidiary of Cypress Semiconductor Corp. (NYSE: CY).
Forward Looking Statement
Statements made in this release that are not historical in nature and that refer to SunPower's plans and expectations for the future, are forward-looking statements made pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We use words such as "estimates," "anticipates," "believes," "expects," "future," "look forward," "planning," "intends" and similar expressions to identify such forward-looking statements. Our actual results may differ materially due a variety of factors, including but not limited to the risks identified in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements included in this release are based upon information available to SunPower as of the date of this release, which may change, and we assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking statement.
NOTE: SunPower is a registered trademark of SunPower Corporation. Cypress is a registered trademark of Cypress Semiconductor Corp. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
SOURCE: SunPower Corporation
CONTACT: Laurie Thornton of Radiate
Public Relations, +1-650-654-2660, or laurie@radiatepr.com, for SunPower
Corporation
Web site: http://www.sunpowercorp.com/