SunPower extended its industry leadership in environmental sustainability by earning industry accolades for green initiatives implemented at the company's solar panel manufacturing plant in the Philippines. Recognition included Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, as well as a 2015 Excellence in Ecology and Economy (E3) Award from the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

"We're honored that the Philippine Chamber of Commerce has recognized our efforts to operate a sustainable business, and look forward to using our proven experience to help residential, commercial and utility customers around the world achieve their own sustainability goals," said Marty Neese, SunPower COO. "With the help of a dedicated team in the Philippines, we're proud to have secured LEED certification which is an important element of SunPower's holistic sustainability strategy to pursue LEED, Cradle to Cradle, and Landfill-Free certifications for all of our solar panel assembly sites."

Several elements contributed to the SunPower solar panel manufacturing plant's LEED certification and E3 Award recognition, including a rain water collection system and water reduction measures, one megawatt of installed solar power capacity, as well as light-emitting diode (LED) lights installed throughout the campus. The Philippine plant is SunPower's fifth site to earn LEED certification.

Additional LEED certified SunPower buildings include:

• Headquarters in San Jose, Calif. (LEED Gold Certified)
• Fab 2 solar cell manufacturing plant in the Philippines (LEED Gold Certified)
• Fab 3 AUO SunPower solar cell manufacturing plant in Malaysia (LEED Gold Certified)
• Fab 3 AUO SunPower administration building in Malaysia (LEED Platinum Certified)

The U.S. Green Building Council's internationally-recognized LEED program offers five different rating groups depending on project type. SunPower's Philippine solar panel manufacturing plant was certified according to the Building Operations and Maintenance standards that apply to existing buildings. The site earned enough credits in the following seven categories to reach Gold certification: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, material and resources, indoor environmental quality, innovation, and regional priority credits.

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry's E3 Award recognizes organizations in the country that demonstrate business sustainability through environmental stewardship. SunPower's Philippine solar panel manufacturing plant earned first place for the Large Enterprise Category. Award criteria included exceeding compliance with environmental laws and regulations, as well as demonstrating commitment to sustainability through the company's implementation approach.