According to a SunPower Corporation press release, the Toshiba Corporation will order 32 megawatts of high efficiency solar panels from SunPower in 2010.  The SunPower panels will form the cornerstone of Toshiba’s new residential solar offering in Japan, to be launched April 1. 

“Toshiba’s residential solar power business will offer homeowners the most efficient solar power systems available, with a focus on quality and reliability,” said Shoji Takenaka, chief technology executive of Transmission Distribution a & Industrial Systems company, Toshiba corporation. “We are very pleased to work with SunPower, as their photovoltaic panels achieve high levels of performance and reliability, and their efficiency supports space-saving solutions that directly meet the needs of consumers in Japan.”

The press release goes on to state that, “SunPower almost doubled production of its high-efficiency solar cells and panels from 2008 to 2009, with 2009 production of approximately 400 megawatts.  In 2010, the company intends to expand production further with new manufacturing operations in Malaysia, the United States and Europe.”