SunPower has said that it will supply 14MW of high-efficiency solar PV panels to the supermarket conglomerate, Casino Group by the end of 2009. Casino Group will use the panels to install solar power systems ranging from 900kW to 5MW on rooftops and parking structures on supermarket locations in mainland France and the islands of Mayotte and La Reunion.
“This is the first step of a major new renewable energy initiative for Casino, which includes a pipeline of projects to be developed over the next several months,” said Casino Chief Real Estate and Development Officer Jacques Ehrmann. “SunPower’s proven high-efficiency technology generates the most power in space constrained areas. This will allow us to maximize the amount of clean, renewable solar power that will be produced at our facilities, and reinforces our commitment to sustainable development.”
“As a successful business leader with one of the largest retail networks in France, Casino understands that solar power today offers a great return on investment. We are delighted to partner with Casino in significantly expanding the rooftop solar market in France,” said SunPower Senior Director Jorn Jurgens.
The panels supplied for this project will be the SunPower 315 Solar Panel and the SunPower 305 Solar Panel. This technology offers 315-watts and 305-watts per panel, respectively and are comprised of 96 high-efficiency SunPower solar cells. The 315-watt SunPower solar panel currently offers the industry’s highest conversion efficiency of 19.3%.
Some of the systems will be considered building-integrated photovoltaic systems under the French feed-in-tariff program.
