$$$ SunPower, die amerikanische SW $$$

SunPower Gives Optimistic Outlook for 2010, Plans to Launch Gen 3 Cell

SunPower (SPWRA) (SPWRB) executives expressed an optimistic outlook as they announced third-quarter earnings that beat Wall Street expectations Thursday.

But the company's shares dropped about 11 percent in recent trading as it lowered its earnings outlook for 2009. SunPower now expects to generate between $1.43 billion to $1.5 billion in sales for the year, resulting in $0.50 to $0.60 per share.

Previously, the San Jose, Calif.-based company had expected to post $1.35 billion to $1.7 billion in sales and $0.45 to $0.90 per share.

Executives from SunPower told analysts that they are boosting solar panel production and looking at lining up other solar panel makers to provide products for the company's power plant building business.

"Our Q3 performance reinforces the advantage of our vertically integrated model," said Tom Werner, CEO of SunPower. "We see strong demand into 2010."

On the technology front, the company plans to start shipping its Gen 3 cell in 2010. The company already can produce Gen 3 cells with 24 percent efficiency, Werner said. The cells in mass production have about 22 percent efficiency.

In the third quarter this year, SunPower generated $466 million in sales, a boost from $378 million in the third quarter in 2008.

Net income for the third quarter was $12.8 million, or $0.13 per share, compared with $24.7 million, or $0.29 per share from a year ago. Some one-time charges, including $5.3 million in non-cash interest charges associated with a new way of accounting for interest expense for convertible bonds.

26.10.2009 13:06
SunPower Announces World-Record Solar Panel With a 20.4 Percent Total Area Efficiency / Prototype Developed Using Funding From the DOE Solar America Initiative

SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SunPower Corp. , a Silicon Valley-based manufacturer of high-efficiency solar cells, solar panels and solar systems, announced today that it has produced a world-record, full-sized solar panel with a 20.4 percent total area efficiency. The prototype was successfully developed using funds provided by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under its Solar America Initiative (SAI), which was awarded to SunPower approximately two years ago.

The new 96-cell, 333-watt solar panel is comprised of SunPower's third generation solar cell technology that offers a minimum cell efficiency of 23 percent. In addition, the larger area cells are cut from a 165 mm diameter ingot and include an anti-reflective coating for maximum power generation. With a total panel area of 1.6 square meters, including the frame, SunPower's 20.4 percent panel achieved the highest efficiency rating of a full sized solar panel and this rating was confirmed by the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL), an independent testing facility.

"SunPower has the engineering expertise and proven technology to accomplish this remarkable milestone in such a short period of time," said Larry Kazmerski, executive director, science and technology partnerships, located at NREL. "My colleagues at the DOE and NREL had cautioned me that reaching a 20 percent solar panel was a stretch, but this did not dampen my optimism that it would happen. I congratulate SunPower and its team of talented engineers on realizing this accomplishment."