SunPower Inc. (Nasdaq: SPWR) announced it has broken ground on a solar power system for a new artificial intelligence data center in Reno, Nevada.

John Paul Bergh, EVP of Cobalt Power Systems and SunPower New Homes, described the project as the first phase of the Reno AI data center build. "While not yet at the 100-megawatt-plus scale, this solar project is complex, and its installation is a learning opportunity for us," Bergh said, adding that the award reflects the company's goal of expanding its commercial system capability for projects with demanding performance requirements.

T.J. Rodgers, CEO of SunPower, noted the financial contrast between residential and commercial installations. "Our ASP for a residential solar job is about $32 thousand, but our high-tech Silicon Valley installations average $44 thousand with some commercial installations running well over $1 million," Rodgers said. "Bigger is better on the bottom line."

SunPower, based in Orem, Utah, provides solar technology, services, and installation to residential, commercial, new-home, and multifamily customers across the United States.