BP Solar

History

In 1981, BP acquired initially 50% of Lucas Energy Systems which became Lucas BP Solar Systems. The company became wholly owned by BP in the mid-1980s. When BP merged with Amoco in 1998 it acquired Amoco's 50% stake in Solarex. In 1999 it acquired Enron's stake in Solarex and consolidated its PV divisions into a new subsidiary named BP Solarex. In that year the company became the world's leading PV producer. In 2001 the division renamed itself BP Solar.

BP Solar and Indian firm Tata Power established Tata BP Solar, a joint venture company, in 1989. The company began commercial operations in 1991 by establishing its first manufacturing unit with a production capacity of 3 MW in India. BP Solar exited the joint venture in 2012, and Tata BP Solar became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Tata Group.

In 2004, the R&D part of BP Solar was sold to the UK's National Renewable Energy Centre (Narec). In 2013, it became Solar Capture Technologies. In 2010, it closed down the factory at Frederick, Maryland. BP Solar closed on 21 December 2011 when BP announced its departure from the solar energy business.

Operations

PV power plants using BP solar modules include:

• Bürstadt, Germany — 5 MW from 30,000 modules
• Springerville, Arizona, USA — 4.59 MW from 34,980 modules
• Geiseltalsee, Germany — 4 MW from 25,000 modules
• Long Island, New York, USA — 32 MW from 164,312 modules

BP Solar had many projects and co-operative activities in developing countries, including supplying power to 36,000 homes in rural Indonesia, installing 1000 solar devices to provide power to 400 remote villages in the Philippines, and setting up a rural electrification scheme in Malaysia to provide power to 30,000 remote homes in Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia. In the mid-1980s BP installed Solar power for Microwave repeater stations across Sierra Leone in support of a telecommunications network restoration.

BP Solar (with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation — CSIRO) was also involved in the commercialization of a long-life deep cycle lead acid battery, which is well suited to the storage of electricity for renewable remote area power systems (RAPS). This GreenGel battery, and CSIRO's new battery charging procedures, will reduce capacity loss and premature failure sometimes encountered with existing battery technology. A significant component of the project will be the establishment of an innovative manufacturing process to enable the production of these advanced batteries at an internationally competitive price, facilitating a major export market.

References

References

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2. [https://web.archive.org/web/20140301092739/http://www.hoovers.com/free/search/simple/xmillion/index.xhtml?query_string=BP+Solar&which=company&page=1&x=0&y=0 Hoovers]
3. (March 1981). "BP and Lucas form solar company". Electronics and Power.
4. (2013). "The Long Island Solar Farm".
5. . (1 May 1999). ["BP Solarex Becomes World's Largest PV Manufacturer"](https://www.buildinggreen.com/news-analysis/bp-solarex-becomes-worlds-largest-pv-manufacturer). *BuildingGreen*.
6. (7 April 1999). "Company news; BP Amoco plans to buy remaining 50% stake in Solarex". Dow Jones.
7. (2018). "The Solar Generation". Wiley - IEEE.
8. Shepard, Jeff. (1 May 1999). "BP Solarex To Become BP Solar". EETech Group.
9. "HISTORY & MILESTONES".
10. (March 2017). "Tata Power Solar Is First Indian Company To Ship 1 Gigawatt Of Solar Modules".
11. . (31 August 2012). ["Tata BP Solar India Limited renamed as Tata Power Solar Systems Limited – a new beginning for India's pioneering solar company!"](https://www.tatapowersolar.com/press-release/tata-bp-solar-india-limited-renamed-as-tata-power-solar-systems-limited-a-new-beginning-for-indias-pioneering-solar-company/). *[[Tata Power Solar]]*.
12. "Solar Capture Technologies launched".
13. Mulliken, Bruce. "Solarex fades away".
14. (21 December 2011). "BP turns out lights at solar business". Reuters.
15. . ["BP to Close Its Solar Business after 40 Years"](https://www.greenbiz.com/article/bp-close-its-solar-business-after-40-years). *Business Green*.
16. (2021-06-01). "BP invests $220 million in U.S. solar projects". Reuters.
17. Liang, Tian. (2016). "Rural Electrification in East Malaysia : Achieving optimal power generation system and sustainability of rural electrification projects".
18. [http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/renewable/recp/projects.html Renewable Energy Commercialisation Programme] {{webarchive. link. (2007-02-20)