ICE Cold Storage Building Combines Energy Efficiency With SunPower Solar System to Reduce Energy Costs by More Than 75 Percent

SAN DIEGO, March 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In a dedication ceremony today, Hamann Construction, Innovative Cold Storage Enterprises, Inc. (ICE), San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), and SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWRA, SPWRB), a manufacturer of high-efficiency solar cells, solar panels and solar systems, are celebrating the completion of ICE II, ICE's new 134,511-square-foot cold storage building. ICE expects to achieve more than 75 percent reduction in energy costs at the facility as a result of the energy efficient design and a 1.1-megawatt high-efficiency SunPower solar power system.

"Expanding the operations of ICE, this new building will store four times as much product as the original plant while using half the power - and the SunPower solar system on the roof will generate the equivalent of 72 percent of the energy used by the facility," said Gregg Hamann, vice president of Hamann Construction, designers and builders of the project. "The 'cool roof,' designed to maximize insulation, would have been jeopardized by a solar system that required roof penetration for installation. The SunPower PowerGuard(R) non-penetrating rooftop system was perfect because it maintains the integrity of the insulated roof, installs quickly, and provides additional insulation and protection."

Financing for the solar power system was shared equally by Innovative Oil and Gas, a Hamann entity, and SDG&E. Accordingly, each owns half of the solar power system and the renewable energy credits associated with it.

SDG&E collaborated with Hamann as part of its Sustainable Communities Program, which sponsors green building, energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives. SDG&E has completed 11 projects under the program, including four projects with a combined one megawatt of SDG&E-owned renewable power generating resources. SDG&E awarded Hamann and ICE over $225,000 in incentive funding for the energy efficient features and advanced technology included in the design of the building.

"We congratulate ICE for taking advantage of the California Solar Initiative and the federal tax incentive to finance their half of this project," said Hal Snyder, vice president of customer solutions for SDG&E. "This truly is a community project because half of the solar power from this roof will go right to the grid for the benefit of our local customers, while $225,000 in incentives were awarded to ICE and Hamann Construction for building a more sustainable facility that delivers long-term benefits."

"Under its Sustainable Communities Program, SDG&E is one of the first utilities in the nation to invest directly in distributed solar power systems. SDG&E's ownership of half of the solar system on ICE's new LEED-certified building will generate clean, renewable solar power for SDG&E's customers," said SunPower Chief Executive Officer Tom Werner. "We applaud the vision of all partners on this project, and their efforts to ensure the reliable, cost-effective delivery of solar power today."

SunPower designed and installed a system that utilizes SunPower solar panels, the most efficient on the market today. Using conversion formulas provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the system is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by almost 1.5 million pounds annually, which is the equivalent to the emissions generated from 3900 cars over the expected 30-year lifetime of the system.

In addition, Hamann Construction designed and built the facility to include:

• High-efficiency ammonia refrigeration
• Motion detector controlled LED lighting
• Ten 1-kilowatt wind turbines
• Rechargeable forklifts
• Extremely narrow aisle racking
• Rainwater collection systems to achieve exceptional water savings

Based on the energy efficient features and solar power system, Hamann expects the facility to attain gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. LEED certified buildings are designed to standards of sustainability and energy efficiency beyond typical building codes.