SunPower
 |
|
| Public (NASDAQ: SPWR) | |
| Industry | Solar Energy |
| Founded | 1985 |
| Founder | Richard Swanson |
| Headquarters | San Jose, California, U.S. |
|
Key people
|
Thomas H. Werner (CEO) |
| Products | Solar panels |
| Revenue |
 US$ 1,576,470,000 (2016) |
|
US$ -206,290,000 (2016) |
|
|
US$ -187,020,000 (2016) |
|
| Total assets |
US$ 4,856,990,000 (2016) |
| Total equity |
US$ 1,449,150,000 (2016) |
|
Number of employees
|
6,320 (December 2013) |
| Parent | Total S.A. (66%) |
| Website | sunpower.com |
|
Footnotes / references |
|
Footnotes / references
Financials from SunPower Corporation
SunPower Corporation is an American energy company that designs and manufactures crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, roof tiles and solar panels based on an all-back-contact solar cell invented at Stanford University. The company is owned 66% by Total, Europe's third largest oil company, and is publicly traded on the NASDAQ as SPWR (formerly SPWRA and SPWRB); it is a component of the Dow Jones Oil and Gas Index DJUSEN.
In 1997, the company's solar cells were used in NASA Pathfinder high altitude aircraft.
In January 2007, SunPower corporation acquired PowerLight Corporation, a leading global provider of large-scale solar power systems In February 2010, it acquired Europe's SunRay Renewable Energy for $277 million. On 29 April 2011, Total S.A. agreed to buy 60% of SunPower for US$1.38 billion. On 23 December 2011, the company announced an agreement to acquire Tenesol SA.
In October 2014, the company was described as "Silicon Valley’s dominant solar panel manufacturer."
On February 23, 2015, SunPower (SPWR) and First Solar (FSLR) announced plans to set up a joint yieldco.
The company's main product is a high-efficiency solar cell, trademarked "Maxeon", the same size and shape as conventional 6-inch/160 mm single-crystal silicon cells, packaged into conventional 60-cell solar panels. The cells have a conversion efficiency of 21.5%, and each panel produces up to 345 W; typical conventional panels produce up to 250 to 270 W.
Silicon solar cells typically consist of a thin layer of silicon chemically treated to produce an electrically active layer near the front that produces electricity when the sun shines on it. Collecting that energy is normally handled via a series of very fine wires embedded on the front. There is an inherent paradox in the wiring design; larger wires lower electrical resistance and improve energy collection but reflect light that would otherwise reach the cell and improve energy creation. The wires are normally made of silver for a variety of reasons, although less expensive copper and aluminum wiring has been attempted with no great market success. The circuit is completed by a thin layer of aluminum that is deposited on the back of the cell.
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Wikipedia