Empire to Install Arizona's Largest Commercial Solar
Rooftop System
MESA, Ariz., April 19, 2010 /PRNewswire
Empire Power Systems (EPS) today announced that it will install
Arizona's largest commercial rooftop solar power system to date on an
850,000-square-foot building near 27th Avenue and Buckeye Road in
Phoenix. The 2.4-megawatt SunPower T5 Solar Roof Tile system chosen for
this rooftop represents approximately 6.5 acres of solar panels. The
installation is scheduled to begin immediately.
The building is owned and operated by Cowley Companies. Last used as a
warehouse for Fleming Foods, it houses 250,000 square feet of
refrigerator and freezer space and is ideal for local or national
foodservice tenants. The new solar power system will allow Cowley to
provide tenants with electricity that is not only renewable, but also
about 25 percent less expensive than typical industrial electric rates.
"With rising energy costs, it just made sense to power this warehouse
with clean, renewable energy while lowering our electricity bills," said
Mike Cowley, president, Cowley Companies. "This particular warehouse is
leased to our clients, some of whom are in the frozen food business, and
the decision to install solar on the roof also supports their
sustainability goals."
The new system will feature the SunPower T5 Solar Roof Tile, the
solar industry's first non-penetrating rooftop product that combines a
high-efficiency SunPower solar panel, frame and mounting system into a
single pre-engineered unit. Tilted at a five-degree angle, the T5 roof
tile system approximately doubles the energy generated per square meter
compared to systems that are mounted flat onto commercial rooftops.
"We are pleased to partner with EPS to provide the T5 roof tile
technology for this significant project in Arizona," said Jim Pape,
president, residential and commercial business group for SunPower Corp.
"Our proven technology and high-efficiency solar panels will help Cowley
Companies to maximize the emission-free solar power generated on the
roof, as well as savings on electricity costs."
The solar installation will be facilitated, in part, from a
production-based incentive provided by Arizona Public Service (APS).
Through the Renewable Energy Incentive Program, APS offers incentives to
customers who add renewable energy systems to their homes or business.
The program is funded by APS customers and approved by the Arizona
Corporation Commission.
EPS has a 60-year history as a provider of primary and back-up power
generation systems to hospitals, municipalities, schools, data centers,
telecommunication centers and manufacturers. The company launched a
renewable energies division in 2008 and has distributor agreements with
solar industry leaders, such as SunPower.
"Providing reliable power is what we do, so solar power was a natural
extension of our business," explained EPS General Manager Brett Burns.
"Agreements with companies like SunPower enable us to provide commercial
solar options that combine our expertise with the best products on the
market."
The EPS solar team has over 120 years of collective experience in all
facets of distributed power generation: design and engineering,
fabrication, installation, maintenance and technical support. Their lead
engineer founded the solar test and research center for one of Arizona's
largest utilities and installed the state's first utility scale solar
project in 1982.
About Empire Power Systems
Empire Power Systems (EPS) provides sales, service, design and
installation services for industrial power generation equipment and
commercial solar systems. EPS offers solar systems for both off-grid and
grid-connected systems. Their turnkey services include business and
utility analyses, custom design, procurement, design and engineering,
installation and service and maintenance. They also assist in preparing
customer documentation for governmental and utility rebate/incentive
programs.
As a division of Empire Southwest -- the authorized Caterpillar dealer
for Arizona, southeastern California and northern Mexico -- EPS has
provided primary and back-up power systems and temperature control
products to southwestern hospitals, municipalities, telecommunications
companies, educational institutions, military establishments and
high-tech manufacturers for over 50 years. EPS is headquartered at 801
N. 44th Avenue, Phoenix. For more information, visit www.empirecat.com.
About Cowley Companies, Inc.
Cowley Companies, Inc., is a Phoenix-based real estate investment firm
that has been in business since 1967. Their real estate investment
portfolio includes industrial properties consisting of approximately 1.2
million square feet of space as well as finished lots and vacant land in
Arizona, Texas, Colorado and Idaho. The company's offices are at 1242
East Jackson Street, Phoenix, Arizona, 85034.
About SunPower Corporation
Founded in 1985, SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWRA, SPWRB) designs,
manufactures and delivers the planet's most powerful solar technology
broadly available today. Residential, business, government and utility
customers rely on the company's experience and proven results to
maximize return on investment. With headquarters in San Jose, Calif.,
SunPower has offices in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. For
more information, visit www.sunpowercorp.com.
About Arizona Public Service
APS, Arizona's largest and longest-serving electricity utility, serves
about 1.1 million customers in 11 of the state's 15 counties. With
headquarters in Phoenix, APS is the principal subsidiary of Pinnacle
West Capital Corp. (NYSE: PNW)
Contact: Steven Gotfried - 602-250-3040
SunPower's Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Forward-looking statements are statements that do not represent
historical facts and may be based on underlying assumptions. SunPower
use words and phrases such as "to install," "will," "rising,"
"lowering," and "are estimated," to identify forward-looking statements
in this press release, including forward-looking statements regarding:
(a) construction schedule; (b) environmental benefits; and (c) cost
savings. Such forward-looking statements are based on information
available to SunPower as of the date of this release and involve a
number of risks and uncertainties, some beyond SunPower's control, that
could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated
by these forward-looking statements, including risks and uncertainties
such as: (i) construction difficulties or potential delays in the
project implementation process; (ii) unanticipated delays or
difficulties securing necessary permits, licenses or other governmental
approvals; (iii) the risk of continuation of supply of products and
components from suppliers; (iv) unanticipated problems with deploying
the system on the sites; (v) actual electricity generation; (vi) the
actual energy consumption rate; (vii) unexpected changes in utility
service rates; (viii) variations in carbon dioxide emissions reductions;
and (ix) other risks described in SunPower's Annual Report on Form 10-K
for the year ended January 3, 2010, and its other filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements
should not be relied upon as representing SunPower's views as of any
subsequent date, and SunPower is under no obligation to, and expressly
disclaims any responsibility to, update or alter its forward-looking
statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise.
SunPower is a registered trademark of SunPower Corp. All other
trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
SOURCE SunPower Corp.
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