As we approach the holiday season, we want to share a recent solar project that demonstrates SunPower’s commitment to the local communities in which we conduct business - all over the world. Last weekend, the SunPower Korea team, joined by Edison Solitec (SunPower Authorized Installer), SMA Solar Technology Korea, and Habitat for Humanity Korea installed a residential installation in Yangpyeong, South Korea to benefit a local family.
The installation was a donation from SunPower, working through the SunPower Foundation, to Habitat for Humanity Korea’s 2010 New Hope Project, which aims to provide low-income families with homes. In addition, Edison Solitec donated construction services in building the installation, and SMA Solar Technology Korea donated a portion of the inverters used for the system. The entire project was a truly global effort well-aligned with the spirit of Habitat of Humanity. The install was completed in two days and will provide electricity for eight households living in these two buildings.
As Gi-Nam Jeong, team manager of the Habitat for Humanity’s project in Yangpyeong, pointed out, “Energy bills account for a large portion of the budgets of low-income families, so we hope this unique solar gift will shine a light on the issue of affordable housing and encourage other businesses to support this worthy cause.” Check out the Habitat for Humanity site to learn how to support projects like this around the globe by donating your time or your money. See below for photos of our SunPower Korea team installing the SunPower solar panels, and stay tuned for more photos coming to our Facebook page: 

As we kick off 2011, we wanted to reflect on the most rewarding part of the holiday season - joining together as a local community to give back. On December 11, 2010, 20 SunPower employees and their family members, including CEO Tom Werner, joined 700 volunteers and Turning Wheels for Kids to build bikes for kids and families who couldn’t otherwise afford a bike. Turning Wheels for Kids is a partner of the SunPower Foundation. At the Bike Build 2010 event, the entire group of volunteers built 2,400 bikes in 4.5 hours. That was quite a feat but don’t forget that means we also had to pump 4,800 tires in five hours! Thanks to an awesome group effort, Turning Wheels for Kids distributed these bikes to families throughout Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties in time for the holidays.

Once all the bikes were built, the crowd of volunteers watched on as Silicon Valley Executives, Turning Wheels for Kids staff members and BMX X Games gold medalists raced tricycles to raise funds for the organization. After addressing the volunteers, Tom even pedaled away against San Jose Sharkie and Carl Guardino, CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, in the tricycle race! Check out the video below for a 360° recap.

Turning Wheels for Kids was founded in 2003 and is a 100% volunteer-based organization. They raise funds all year through a variety of community events, and bring volunteers together to build and distribute bikes. Bike Build 2010 was also significant for producing the organization’s 10,000th bike since its founding. Check out the Turning Wheels for Kids site to learn how to support this great program by donating your time or your money.

Back in early May, SunPower launched the Make an Impact campaign on Facebook in an effort to connect with fellow solar enthusiasts and donate to community-based solar projects through our partner, the SunPower Foundation. Six months later, over $3,000 fans have 'liked' SunPower on Facebook, resulting in more than $3000 donated to solar projects around the world.

The original goal of Make an Impact called for SunPower to donate $100,000 to non-profit solar projects by November 1st. Today, we’re a ways off, so we’re upping the ante. For the next two weeks (ending November 15th), we’ll donate $10 on behalf of any new fans who 'Like' SunPower on Facebook. That’s right, all you have to do is "Like" SunPower on Facebook, and we will donate $10 to solar development projects operated by our esteemed, non-profit partners.

If you’re looking to make an impact in the growth and adoption of solar energy, click on this Facebook link, "Like" SunPower and know that you’re responsible for a $10 donation to non-profit solar. If you want to make an even greater impact, you can share this news with your friends by clicking here. At the $10 donation rate, we’ll need 9,700 new fans by November 15th to reach our ultimate donation goals. Thanks for working with us to make this donation possible.

The solar projects the SunPower Foundation has contributed to include powering Malaysian turtle hatcheries operated by the World Wildlife Fund, assisting rural electrification in the Philippines through Winrock International and operating solar education programs across the US (centered around the awesome Solar Flowers) with BlackRock Solar. See below for photos from the SunPower Foundation projects or check out our Facebook photo album:


The Black Rock Solar SunFlowers were all the rage at Exploratorium in San Francisco in early October. They’re beautiful, but they also teach kids and adults about solar energy.


Black Rock Solar teaches US kids about renewable energy and environmental stewardship.


The SunPower Foundation supports Winrock International in powering schools in rural sections of the Philippines.

Many commenters on Facebook, Twitter and this blog have asked for an update on the 'Make an Impact' campaign from summer 2010, so today we’re providing news on the SunPower Foundation’s work with Winrock International and the AMORE program in the Philippines.

As part of SunPower’s initial Facebook kick-off on Earth Day 2010, we conducted the "Make an Impact" campaign in which SunPower donated $1 to the SunPower Foundation on behalf of each new Facebook user that liked SunPower. Over the final two weeks of the campaign in November 2010, SunPower upped the donation to $10 for each new "like." In turn, the SunPower Foundation would contribute that money to one of three non-profit organizations aligned with our environmental and community improvement goals. Thanks to fan enthusiasm in spreading the word and joining with SunPower. By the end of the campaign, 3,570 new fans were responsible for an $8,500 donation!



The SunPower Foundation directed a portion of this money to AMORE, a rural electrification program that leverages renewable technologies such as solar installations to deliver lighting services and electricity to remote, off-grid areas on the Philippines island of Mindanao. AMORE, which stands for Alliance for Mindanao and Multi-Regional Rural/Renewable Off-Grid Renewable Energy, is a partnership between the SunPower Foundation, Winrock International, the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the Philippines Department of Energy and the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).



SunPower joined AMORE in the early phases and expanded our contributions significantly for Phase 3. A major tenet of AMORE Phase 3 is providing electricity to rural schools to improve the educational experience and enable distance learning. Over the life of the AMORE program, 224 schools have already been energized (including 119 with SunPower panels), providing educational improvements to roughly 44,000 local students. In Phase 3, 150 new schools will be added benefiting at least 35,000 students. In 2010 alone, 20 schools were solarized.



These installations provide enormous benefits to the Mindanao communities, many of which are racked by poverty, years of local conflict and a lack of infrastructure. Beyond the educational improvements and what that represents for the economic productivity of future generations, there are significant environmental and health benefits associated with cutting down CO2 output and removing the need to burn wood and other fuels. AMORE solar projects also provide economic opportunities such as job creation and workforce training. All of this leads to an improve standard of living for local residents.



To all of our followers who made this donation possible, thank you for joining with SunPower and the SunPower Foundation. If you’re interested in learning more about the mission of the SunPower Foundation, projects it’s funding or how to get involved, please visit the SunPower Foundation web site. If you have any questions or comments regarding current projects, please share below.