SunPower Shuts Plant, Cuts Jobs 25% to Survive Solar Slump

  • Will reduce operating expenses to $350 million next year
  • Company expects to end 2017 with $300 million in cash

A worker installs First Solar Inc. photovoltaic solar panels

Photographer: Joshua Lott/Bloomberg
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SunPower Corp. is following through with a planned restructuring effort that will reduce its workforce by 25 percent to cut costs after solar prices plunged in an oversupplied market.

The second-biggest U.S. panel-maker will cut 2,500 employees to reduce operating expenses next year to less than $350 million, San Jose, California-based company said in a statementBloomberg Terminal Wednesday. It’s closing a factory in the Philippines that can produce about 700 megawatts a year.