The Second Harvest Food Bank of of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties recently received a photovoltaic (PV) array donated by SunPower Corp. and Cypress Semiconductor. Cypress provided $700,000 to support the project while SunPower provided the PV panels. The 322 kilowatt (kW) system is valued at $1.1 million, according to a Aug. 25 press release from Cypress. Over its projected 25-year lifespan, the PV array will save the food bank nearly $3 million in electric bills. That’s equal to about 6 million meals for the community.

Cypress CEO T.J. Rodgers said, "Second Harvest Food Bank is one of the most efficient non-profit organizations in the country, giving $0.95 out of every dollar it receives back to the community." Cypress and its employees raised $700,000 through fundraisers and corporate giving initiatives during the holiday food drive this past Fall.

“The rooftop solar system, so generously donated by Cypress and SunPower, will help us to continue meeting the needs of our community,” said Second Harvest CEO Kathy Johnson said. Second Harvest serves an average of 231,000 individuals each month. The food bank has seen a growing need for its services, "We are distributing more than 20 percent more food than last year at this time," she said.

Rodgers added, "Cypress is pleased to help reduce the organization's operating expenses so that it can focus on what it does best--feeding the community."

SunPower will install two types of roof tiles on the food bank’s 1.4 acre roof in San Jose. The types of solar panels installed will be SunPower’s T10 Solar Roof Tile and its T5 Solar Roof Tile. The modules are pre-engineered to include all the mounting equipment and oriented to maximize the sunlight hitting the panel. The T10 modules have panels that are mounted at 10 degrees, and the T5 modules have panels mounted at 5 degrees.

The pre-fabricated units minimize the weight of the installation and its impact on the roof, while simultaneously cutting the installation time. In fact, the project is expected to be completed in September.