SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- SunPower Corp.
(NASDAQ: SPWR), a leading solar technology and energy service
provider, today announced that it has acquired Greenbotics, Inc., a
Davis, Calif.-based company that
offers panel cleaning products and services for large-scale solar
power plants. With this strategic acquisition, SunPower
expands its energy services portfolio for global customers with the
SunPower Oasis Power Plant product, especially in markets with
challenging dirt and dust environments. SunPower expects to
utilize the robotic technology and the Greenbotics team in
conjunction with other product development and large-scale solar
field installation projects.
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Greenbotics is a leader in optimizing the performance of solar
power plants through a cost-effective cleaning process. For
the past two years, the company has used its proprietary
CleanFleet™ robots and service offerings to wash hundreds of
megawatts of systems in the Southwest and Western U.S. The
robots can be configured for use with a variety of solar panels and
mounting types, including fixed-tilt arrays and single-axis
trackers and offer a less costly and greener alternative to manual
cleaning methods, pressure washers and sprayer trucks. The
robots use under a half a cup of water to clean each panel, which
is approximately 90 percent less than traditional cleaning methods,
making this solution optimum for solar systems built in desert
conditions.
"SunPower's acquisition of Greenbotics and its CleanFleet robots
will allow us to further maximize the proven system performance of
our high efficiency, most reliable solar panels, which is critical
to a project's economics and levelized cost of electricity," said
Tom Werner, SunPower president and
CEO. "Customers in markets such as the Western U.S., the
Middle East and Chile will especially benefit, as dust and
debris is a challenge and water is in shorter supply. We are
very pleased to add the valuable services offered by Greenbotics to
our energy services offerings."
The CleanFleet robots can be tailored specifically for each
power plant to optimize a project's cleaning schedule. Most
panels are cleaned at night to avoid disruption during the daytime,
energy-producing hours. Regularly cleaning solar panels
located in dry, dusty regions can increase annual energy production
by up to 15 percent.
The Greenbotics acquisition is a cash transaction that is
accretive to SunPower's results.
About SunPower
SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWR) designs,
manufactures and delivers the highest efficiency, highest
reliability solar panels and systems available today.
Residential, business, government and utility customers rely
on the company's quarter century of experience and guaranteed
performance to provide maximum return on investment throughout the
life of the solar system. Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., SunPower has offices in
North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. For more information, visit
www.sunpower.com.
SOURCE SunPower Corp.