SunPower, HP partner to spread solar power

Tuesday, November 27, 2007 - 2:53 PM PST

SunPower, HP partner to spread solar power

Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal - by Emma Ritch

SunPower Corp. is partnering with Hewlett-Packard Co. to make the company and its employees more green.

San Jose-based SunPower will install a 1-megawatt solar electric power system on HP's printer manufacturing facility in San Diego in July 2008 and discount solar systems to HP employees starting later this year.

HP will buy electricity generated by the solar system from SunPower at a rate lower than retail, so HP will have no upfront cost, according to SunPower. The system will offset more than 1 million pounds of carbon dioxide per year.

Later this year, HP will start a program for its U.S.-based employees to get discounts on SunPower solar power systems for their homes.

SunPower manufactures high-efficiency solar cells, solar panels and solar systems for residential, commercial and utility-scale power plant customers.