Now 100 Percent of SunPower's Direct Current E-Series and X-Series Solar Panels Produced are Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Silver

March 23, 2016 /3BL Media/ - With environmental sustainability and social responsibility at its core, SunPower demonstrates continued industry leadership by manufacturing 100 percent of its direct current E-Series and X-Series solar panels to meet Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Silver standards. Administered by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, Cradle to Cradle certification evaluates a product across five categories: material health, material reutilization, renewable energy use, water stewardship and social fairness.

"Consumers can drive significant environmental change by supporting products that are sustainably designed, sourced and manufactured, and Cradle to Cradle certification provides trusted validation that these products are made with minimal impact to our earth and local communities," said Lewis Perkins, president of the Cradle to Cradle® Products Innovation Institute. "We congratulate SunPower for their commitment to helping residential and commercial customers reach their long-term sustainability goals whether it be by achieving LEED certification for a building or reducing a home's carbon footprint with Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Silver solar panels."

Four SunPower facilities located in Mexico, France and now the Philippines are producing Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Silver solar panels – the only solar panels in the world that carry the mark. These same SunPower manufacturing sites are on a path to becoming "triple certified" to add landfill-free verification and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification to their list of sustainability achievements.

Most Recent Landfill-free Verification Earned in France

At the end of 2015, SunPower facilities in De Vernejoul and Toulouse, France, joined the company's Mexicali facility in earning landfill-free verification from NSF Sustainability, a division of the global public health organization NSF International.

"Achieving landfill-free status and having it verified by NSF Sustainability shows the commitment that SunPower is making to more sustainable operations," saidJenny Oorbeck, General Manager of NSF International's Sustainability Division. "We congratulate SunPower on these waste reduction accomplishments." 

With this recognition, three SunPower facilities now hold the verification demonstrating that 99 percent of the waste generated at each location is diverted from landfills.

Latest Industry Recognition and Continued Commitment to Sustainability

SunPower continues to earn industry recognition for its sustainability initiatives. Most notably, the company placed first in the 2015 Solar Scorecard released by Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC), showing leadership in manufacturing solar panels according to environmental, sustainability and social justice factors. In six years of the report being published, SunPower received the highest rating ever acquired by a participating solar company with 97 points.    

"Toward the end of 2015, world leaders reached a historic agreement to address climate change head-on. At SunPower, we believe solar power will help significantly meet the challenge, and we'll continue driving innovations that allow us to design and manufacture high-efficiency solar products even more sustainably," said Marty Neese, SunPower COO. "SunPower has proven that there's a holistically better way to help residential, commercial and power plant solar customers globally achieve their renewable energy goals with minimal impact to the environment, and we look forward to further reducing our carbon footprints, together."

For more on SunPower sustainability, visit www.sunpower.com/sustainability.

About SunPower

As one of the world's most innovative and sustainable energy companies, SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWR) provides a diverse group of customers with complete solar solutions and services. Residential customers, businesses, governments, schools and utilities around the globe rely on SunPower's more than 30 years of proven experience. From the first flip of the switch, SunPower delivers maximum value and superb performance throughout the long life of every solar system. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, SunPower has dedicated, customer-focused employees in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North and South America. For more information about how SunPower is changing the way our world is powered, visit www.sunpower.com.

About the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute

The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute is a non-profit organization whose mission is to turn the making of things into a positive force for people, the economy and the planet. It stewards the Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Product Program, a system for assessing and continuously improving product quality based upon five categories: material health, material reuse, renewable energy, water stewardship, and social fairness. The Institute is headquartered in San Francisco, California with satellite offices in Amsterdam, NL, Venlo, NL and Raleigh, NC.

About NSF International

NSF International is a global independent organization that writes standards, and tests and certifies products for the food, water and consumer goods industries to minimize adverse health effects and protect the environment (nsf.org). Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting human health and safety worldwide. NSF Sustainability offers a range of business solutions, including sustainable standards development, certification and claims validation for commercial and consumer products as well as process verification services such as greenhouse gas and landfill-free verification and sustainable forestry and e-waste certification.

SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including our expectations regarding the pace of our innovations and planned improvements to our manufacturing processes. These forward-looking statements are based on our current assumptions, expectations and beliefs and involve substantial risks and uncertainties that may cause results, performance or achievement to materially differ from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to: (1) our ability to obtain additional financing for our projects and our customers; (2) regulatory changes and the availability of economic incentives promoting use of solar energy; and (3) other risks discussed in filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from time to time, including our most recent report on Form 10-K, particularly under the heading "Risk Factors." Copies of these filings are available online from the SEC or on the SEC Filings section of our Investor Relations website at investors.sunpowercorp.com. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information currently available to us, and we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in light of new information or future events.

© 2016 SunPower Corporation.  All Rights Reserved.  SUNPOWER and the SUNPOWER logo are registered trademarks of SunPower Corporation in the U.S. and other countries as well.  Cradle to Cradle Certified™ is a certification mark licensed by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute.