SunPower's new spiel

What do new strategic messages from solar manufacturer SunPower (NASDAQ: SPWR) suggest about its future direction?

At an investor conference today in San Francisco, SunPower CEO Tom Werner prefaced a corporate presentation with the suggestion that those familiar with the company would hear things in a slightly different wrapper.

Indeed, SunPower today put unprecedented emphasis on its channel activities, vertical integration and efforts at working with new home builders directly.

Specifically, Werner said the company is focused on the six constituents of OEMs, distributors, dealer networks, builders of homes, commercial customers and power plants.

SunPower, which makes silicon-based solar modules and panels with the highest efficiencies in the market, put an undue emphasis on efficiency today as a clear strategic message. Werner referred to his company's "most efficient" panels many times throughout his remarks, seemingly more so than usual.

The move wasn't entirely surprising, given that some dozen other solar companies were also represented at the conference.

The company's future strategy, concluded Werner at the end of his presentation, was threefold: build the leading brand in the solar industry, capitalize on its technology leadership and drive down costs—all of which have been themes of previous presentations of the company.

Werner made his remarks today at boutique investment bank ThinkEquity's ThinkGreen conference in San Francisco.

Shares of SunPower closed the day at $130.50, up 1.82 percent.