SunPower upgrades solar monitoring system for residential market

SAN JOSE, USA: SunPower Corp., a manufacturer of high efficiency solar cells, solar panels and solar systems, announced an upgrade to its SunPower Monitoring System that allows SunPower dealer/partners to remotely monitor the performance of their customers' high-efficiency solar power systems.

The remote monitoring feature allows for rapid troubleshooting of system performance issues, helping to reduce maintenance costs and provide improved customer service.

"We're proud to continue our technology leadership with this robust monitoring system, and to provide our growing global network of SunPower dealers with the tools they need to enhance customer service," said Jim Pape, president, residential and commercial business group at SunPower.

"Homeowners can also track the efficiency of their solar systems with their iPhone and iPod touch mobile devices, which immediately displays their reduced energy costs
and the environmental advantages of clean, renewable solar power."

The company also announced that it is launching the SunPower Monitoring System in Europe, providing SunPower partners as well as SunPower system owners in Europe the ability to remotely monitor system performance.

For system owners, the SunPower Monitoring System offers three easy ways to access information about the energy generated by their SunPower solar systems, including the industry's first monitoring application for the Apple iPhone and iPod touch mobile devices.

Along with the iPhone and iPod touch application, the SunPower Monitoring System offers homeowners the ability to monitor SunPower solar systems with a wireless, in-home wall-mounted LCD display that provides power production and cumulative energy information in near real time.

The monitoring system also provides the convenience of Internet access to a solar system's performance from virtually anywhere. Customers can view a system's energy performance and environmental savings on an hourly, monthly and annual basis.
The iPhone and iPod touch application is available from the Apple App Store at no charge and is available to new and existing customers of SunPower solar systems with monitoring capabilities. Prospective customers can download a demonstration feature with an overview of how the application works.

The SunPower Monitoring System will be available this summer in Europe, via the SunPower partner network. SunPower's network is comprised of approximately 1,000 SunPower-trained installers in North America, Europe and Asia.