SunPower - Smarter Solar™

SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWR) designs, manufactures and markets high-performance solar electric technology worldwide. SunPower'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. SunPower's PowerLight subsidiary is a leading global provider of large-scale solar power systems, with over 100 megawatts installed.

PowerLight is a leading global provider of large-scale solar power systems, delivering unmatched experience and proven financial performance to commercial, utility, public sector and residential customers worldwide. PowerLight designs, deploys and operates the largest solar power systems in the world through market-leading innovation and exceptional customer service. For more information, please visit: www.powerlight.com.

SunPower manufacturers the world's highest-efficiency, commercially available solar cells and solar panels. SunPower's high-efficiency solar cells are built on all-back contact solar cell architecture. SunPower 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.

SunPower solar cells are manufactured in a state-of-the-art facility outside of Manila capable of producing 75 megawatts per year. Our facility has space for approximately 100 megawatts per year of production. Our Cypress Semiconductor Corporation heritage marries our high-efficiency solar cell technology with highly disciplined technology and manufacturing processes from the traditional semiconductor industry. Our Company headquarters and research and development facilities are located in Sunnyvale, California, the heart of Silicon Valley.

A-300 SunPower solar cells are unique because the metal contacts needed to collect and conduct electricity are on the back surface of the solar cells — away from the sunlight. This design eliminates reflective metal contacts on the front of the solar cell. In addition to improving cell performance, this design leaves the front surface with a uniformly black appearance.

SunPower's technology was developed by Dr. Richard Swanson and his students while he was Professor of Electrical Engineering at Stanford University. Financial support for Dr. Swanson's early research was provided in part by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). In 1985 Dr. Swanson founded SunPower to commercialize high-efficiency photovoltaic cell technology for use in solar concentrators.

Dr. Swanson and his team at SunPower discovered that their solar cell technology designed for concentrators offered great advantages in other applications as well. In 2001, SunPower solar cells were used to power NASA's Helios solar powered airplane to a world record powered-flight altitude of 96,863 feet. The 22%-efficient lightweight solar cells were incorporated directly into the curved wing surfaces.

Cypress Semiconductor Corporation purchased a majority interest in SunPower in 2002, and subsequently supported the development and mass production manufacturing of SunPower's high-efficiency all back contact A-300 solar cell. Before moving production to the Philippines, SunPower operated a pilot line located within Cypress's Round Rock, Texas manufacturing plant.

In addition to its solar products, SunPower manufactures a line of advanced custom imaging detectors using the company's core high-performance, back contact silicon technology. These detectors enable a variety of applications in the communications (infrared data port) and medical (CT scanner) industries.