SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWR) recently finished installing a high-efficiency 1.3-megawatt solar power system on the terrace of the building that will soon house Exploratorium on San Francisco’s Embarcadero.
The system will fully meet the entire electrical demand of the new facility, which will open in spring 2013. The Exploratorium’s roof currently features 5,874 high-efficiency solar panels, which will offset an estimated 33,150 tons of CO2 emissions in the system’s 30-year life, Nasdaq reports.
The total power generated is also adequate to supply roughly 1,000 average American households per year. Whatever energy remains idle will be supplied to the utility grid in order to benefit Pacific Gas and Electric Company customers.
Thanks to this system, the Exploratorium will be a “net-zero energy” installation, which significantly helps the environment while maintaining low operational costs.
SunPower is a vertically-integrated solar manufacturer involved in everything from cells through installation. The company has a diversified channel strategy and a prominent presence in both residential and commercial markets.