SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWRA, SPWRB), a manufacturer of high-efficiency solar cells, solar panels and solar systems, announced today that it is building a 1.3-megawatt solar power plant in the Lazio region of Italy for Solar Green Energy-SGE, a joint venture between EDF-EN Italia, a subsidiary of EDF Energies Nouvelles, and Emmecidue, an Italian project developer.

At the 4.7 hectare site in Ferentino, Frosinone province, SunPower will install its 96-cell, E 18 / 305 solar panels with an efficiency of 18 percent or higher, on SunPower T0 Tracker systems. The Tracker follows the sun during the day and delivers up to 25 percent more energy than fixed-tilt systems, requiring only half the land area to produce the same amount of energy as conventional dual-axis trackers. The plant is expected to be operational by the end of the year.

"SunPower's solar power plant experience in Italy and worldwide, as well as the company's high efficiency technology, gives us confidence that this system will be well built in a timely manner, and will maximize the clean, renewable solar power that is delivered to the community, including to the nearby Nestle ice-cream factory," said Bruno D'Onghia, president of EDF EN Italia and Solar Green Energy-SGE.

"We are extremely pleased to partner with EDF Energies Nouvelles, one of the leading renewable players worldwide, for the construction of this project. Customers rely on SunPower, with more than 225 megawatts of SunPower solar power plants operating today in Europe, and our solid track record of building highly efficient power plants quickly and cost effectively, to achieve the highest return on their investment over time," said Gian Maria Ferrero, vice president and general manager, utility and power plants for the EMEA.

EDF-EN Italia uses high-efficiency SunPower E 18 series solar panels at 6.5 megawatts of solar power plants currently operating in Italy, and is installing an additional 2.8 megawatts of SunPower technology for plants under construction.

SunPower has more than 550 megawatts of large solar power systems installed or under contract globally, including Italy's largest solar power plant, the 24-megawatt plant in Montalto di Castro. SunPower recently finalized the acquisition of SunRay Renewable Energy, a leading European solar power plant developer with a principle project office in Rome. With the acquisition, SunPower expanded its pipeline of solar power plant projects to more than 1,200 megawatts in Italy, France, Israel, Spain, the United Kingdom and Greece.