SunPower, K6 partner on two solar power plants in Italy

MILAN, ITALY: SunPower Corp. and K6 S.a.S. announced an agreement under which the companies are building two 1-megawatt photovoltaic (PV) solar power plants in the Puglia region, Italy. The two plants are located in Casamassima and Conversano and will be complete by August 2010.

The clean, renewable solar power generated by the plants will provide electricity locally, and contribute to Italy's national electric grid.

"The co-operation with SunPower is consistent with K6's strategy to develop highly efficient solar parks," said Luciano Di Filippo of K6. "SunPower's most efficient tracker will allow us to achieve optimal energy production, meeting our target financial model in the time period expected and helping to drive renewable energy."

At the sites, SunPower will install SunPower panels, the most efficient solar panels commercially available, and the proprietary SunPower T20 Tracker technology. The Tracker follows the sun during the day and delivers up to 30 percent more energy than fixed-tilt systems, requiring only half the land area to produce the same amount of energy as conventional dual-axis trackers.

A non-ground penetrating, pre-cast concrete foundation option minimizes environmental impact. Real-time, remote monitoring and control is enabled via the SunPower TMAC Advanced Tracker Controller.

"We are delighted to expand our portfolio of Italian solar power plant projects with these two latest parks we are designing and building for K6," said Luca Bandini, general manager of SunPower Italia. "SunPower has leveraged its global power plant experience to offer cost saving enhancements to its T20 Tracker technology, including remote monitoring and control capabilities that enable seamless integration with power plant supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems."

SunPower has more than 200 megawatts of solar power plants operating globally today, including Italy's largest solar power plant, the 24-megawatt plant in Montalto di Castro.

Earlier this month, SunPower announced that it signed a definitive agreement to acquire SunRay Renewable Energy, a leading European solar power plant developer with offices in Europe and the Middle East, including a principle project office in Rome.

Upon closing the transaction, SunPower will acquire a project pipeline of solar PV projects totaling more than 1,200 megawatts (MW) in Italy, France, Israel, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Greece.