For eight communities in the Whitney Ranch residential development in Rocklin,
Calif., outside Sacramento, an average of 1.9 homes have sold each month
since 2006. A ninth community, Grupe Homes' Carsten Crossings, stands out
with more than twice as many sales, or an average of 4.6 homes sold per
month over the same time period.
Four miles down the road in West Roseville's West Park residential
development, homes in Lennar Homes' Laureate, Wayfarer and Ironcrest
communities are selling almost twice as fast as comparable homes in six
neighboring West Park communities.
A notable difference in the homes at Carsten Crossings, Laureate,
Wayfarer and Ironcrest is the inclusion of a SunPower SunTile(R) solar
power system as a standard feature on every home. The SunTile system
integrates into the roof construction and features the highest efficiency
solar cells available on the commercial market. Both Lennar and Grupe have
also incorporated energy-efficient features into these homes, further
reducing monthly home energy bills.
"Grupe and Lennar's home designs in these communities include the
installation of high-performing solar power systems combined with
high-quality energy efficiency features," said Bill Kelly, general manager,
New Homes Division, for SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWR), a Silicon
Valley-based manufacturer of high-efficiency, commercially available solar
cells, solar panels, and solar systems. "This combination of solar
technology and energy efficiency results in very low utility costs for the
homeowner while improving home comfort. This is a great value for
homeowners, and an investment by Grupe and Lennar towards cleaner air and a
better environment."
"Homebuyers value solar systems today because they can significantly
reduce their electric bills and help lower greenhouse gas emissions," said
Mark Fischer, senior vice president of The Grupe Company. "Families at
Carsten Crossings are achieving an average of $120 per month in savings,
and enjoy the satisfaction of generating their own clean, renewable
energy."
"The SunPower solar power systems are well integrated into our homes'
design and look great. They operate simply, requiring no effort by our
customers to enjoy the monthly savings," said Jeff Panasiti, president of
Lennar Homes' Sacramento division. "As a builder, including roof integrated
solar in the homes' construction makes great sense. It should come as no
surprise that these homes sell faster."
Fischer, Kelly and Bill Dakin, senior engineer at Davis Energy Group,
will be presenting more information on this trend this week at PCBC 2007 at
the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Their presentation, "Selling Green to
Earn Green" is scheduled from 11 a.m. to noon on Friday, June 1, in Moscone
West, Room 3020. SunPower is also participating at PCBC as an exhibitor,
hosting Booth #5111 in Moscone's North Hall.

About SunPower
SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWR) designs, manufactures and markets
high-performance solar electric technology worldwide. The company's
high-efficiency 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, please visit the
SunPower website at http://www.sunpowercorp.com. SunPower is a
majority-owned subsidiary of Cypress Semiconductor Corp. (NYSE: CY).
SunPower is a registered trademark of SunPower Corp. PowerLight is a
registered trademark of PowerLight Corp. Cypress is a registered trademark
of Cypress Semiconductor Corp. All other trademarks are the property of
their respective owners.



SOURCE SunPower Corporation