Leading US solar energy company SunPower Corp. is intensifying its marketing promotion in a new ad campaign that aims to attract more people to install solar power systems.

The campaign called “SeizeToday” is intended to “make the promise of solar power a reality for everyday Americans,” the company said last week.

Addressing the main hurdles towards solar power installations in average homes, the ad is focusing on cost and reliability issues.

“SunPower manufactures the planet's most powerful solar technology, which is now highly attainable thanks to financing options offered through the company and federal, state and local tax credits that can reduce the cost of SunPower systems by up to 50%,” SunPower said.

This would mean solar panel installations coming cheaper by $10,000.

SunPower’s campaign is a major thrust after coming out of the solar industry-wide bleak first quarter, where the company saw 22% year-on-year revenue decline.

The company said it markets the world’s “most powerful” solar technology, or solar power systems with high efficiency rates.

In May, SunPower announced that the world’s most powerful solar panel for residential and commercial solar markets had a conversion efficiency of 19.3%, said to be the industry’s highest. Conversion rates measure how much sunlight the PV system transforms into electricity.

The company said it sees revenue growing to $1.7 billion in 2009 from $1.3 billion the previous year.

Created by digital ads maker Tribal DDB, the Seizetoday campaign set up its own website, which features an online estimator tool with Google Maps that allows consumers to estimate the price of the installation of the system.

The estimate will factor in federal, state, and local tax credits and potential home electricity savings.

-  Eric Dorente

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Source:

¹ http://investors.sunpowercorp.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=387951