SunDirected, a SunPower Commercial Dealer located in State College, Pa., has been selected to complete the installation of a 581-kilowatt (kW) high efficiency solar power system at Burkholder's Country Market in Spring Mills. The installation will span three solar carports and is projected to produce over 700,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity for the local grocery store in its first year of operation.

"Our desire to diversify and to cap a large cost for decades to come was one of the main factors that led us to consider solar energy," said Russ Burkholder, owner, Burkholder's Country Market. "We selected SunDirected because they were competitive and introduced us to SunPower which offers the most reliable and highest efficiency solar panels in the industry. We were also comfortable with them because they are a local company with similar shared values."

With partial funding from the Commonwealth Financing Authority, the 581-kW solar carport will serve as covered parking for Burkholder's Country Market customers. The project further underscores the market's focus on customer satisfaction.

"It is an absolute pleasure to be involved with this project. It is rewarding to see Burkholder's experience the financial savings and long-term benefits that a SunPower solar energy solution offers," said Michael Shadow, CEO, SunDirected. "The well-known reliability of SunPower technology, coupled with Burkholder's Country Market's reputation for quality and customer service made this project a no-brainer. An added benefit is that Burkholder's expects to save more than $1,400,000 in electricity costs over the next 25 years."

The project will break ground in August of 2018 and be completed in November of 2018.

SunDirected | www.sundirected.com