PHELAN, Calif. and SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- At a dedication event today, Phelan Pinon Hills Community Services District (PPHCSD) and SunPower (Nasdaq: SPWR) are celebrating the completion of a 1.16-megawatt (AC) solar power system, designed and constructed by SunPower. The electricity generated by the system is being used to power district operations, offsetting nearly 50 percent of the district's total electric bill, according to PPHCSD.

"While we could have installed smaller solar power systems at several individual facilities, we decided to install one large system at an underutilized five-acre site that will deliver savings at 43 facilities across our operations," said Don Bartz, general manager of PPHCSD. "With a single large system, we have been able to capture economies of scale, streamline development, and maximize our savings. We expect to save more than $13 million over the 30-year projected life of the high performance SunPower system."

"Solar is cost-competitive with traditional energy sources today, and is helping fiscally responsible public agencies across the U.S. reduce electricity costs to better serve their constituencies," said Howard Wenger, SunPower president, business units. "We congratulate PPHCSD for their responsible approach to managing their energy, relying on the cost-effective, renewable power of solar."

SunPower designed and installed a complete solar technology solution at the PPHCSD site, including high efficiency SunPower® solar panels installed on the company's proven ground-mount sun-tracking system. The technology is designed to optimize land use and is engineered for rapid, cost-effective installation. SunPower will also provide operations and maintenance on the system.

PPHCSD is taking advantage of the Renewable Energy Self-Generation Bill Credit Transfer (RES-BCT) tariff program offered by the regional utility, Southern California Edison, to deliver savings on the power generated by the SunPower system. Under the program, the district receives credits on its electricity bill in exchange for electricity the new solar power system exports to the utility grid. PPHCSD owns the renewable energy credits associated with the system.

About SunPower

As one of the world's most innovative and sustainable energy companies, SunPower (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.

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SOURCE SunPower Corp.