SunPower has been an innovation leader since its founding in 1985. Today, the company offers some of the most efficient solar technology commercially available. Residential, business, government and utility customers rely on the company’s experience and proven results to maximise return on investment.

There are more than 550 megawatts (MW), installed or under contract, on more than 550 large SunPower systems worldwide. SunPower has more than 5,000 employees working from offices in Australia, North America, Europe and Asia.

Early innovators

In 1993, Honda Motor Company planned to compete in the annual Darwin to Adelaide solar car race across Australia. Honda wanted the most efficient solar cells to power their vehicle.

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Accordingly, SunPower’s engineers went to work, crafting high-efficiency solar concentrator cells – and Honda won the race, by an entire day.

NASA took note, choosing SunPower’s cells for the world’s first solar-powered aircraft, the High-Altitude, Long Endurance Unmanned Air Vehicle Project. Soaring at 29.52 kilometres, the flight broke all prior altitude records.

Record-breaker

The company completed the first commercial photovoltaic (PV) installation in North America, a 200kilowatt (kW) solar-powered system at the Mauna Lani Resort in Hawaii.

In 2004, the company notched up its biggest success: the completion of the Bavaria Solarpark power plant in Germany. Using nearly 60,000 solar panels to generate 10.1 MW of power, the Solarpark was the world’s largest PV installation at the time.

In 2009, the company completed the 25 MW DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Centre, located in Florida, which is the largest solar PV power plant in the United States. It was completed in less than one year – ahead of schedule – and produces enough energy to power more than 3,000 homes. More than 400 local jobs were created during construction.

SunPower Australia

In 2009, SunPower completed construction on a 305 kilowatt solar power system atop the roof of the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Alice Springs, Northern Territory. This was the largest roof-mounted solar power system in Australia at the time of completion. The Crowne Plaza Hotel’s solar electric system is expected to provide between 40 and 80percent of the hotel’s power requirements.

The Australian Federal Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage, and Arts provided financial backing for this project as part of the $94 million Solar Cities Program.

Countless accomplishments

From high efficiency cells to more than 300 MW of operational solar PV power plants, SunPower has consistently delivered reliable solar technology that helps customers maximise cost savings while generating clean, renewable solar power.