BP Solar

In 1981, BP acquired initially 50% of Lucas Energy Systems which became Lucas BP Solar Systems.{{cite journal|title=BP and Lucas form solar company |journal=Electronics and Power |date=March 1981 |doi=10.1049/ep.1981.0091 }} The company became wholly owned by BP in the mid-1980s.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy13osti/58088.pdf|title=The Long Island Solar Farm|date=2013|website=US Dept. of Energy}} When BP merged with Amoco in 1998 it acquired Amoco's 50% stake in Solarex.{{cite web |url=https://www.buildinggreen.com/news-analysis/bp-solarex-becomes-worlds-largest-pv-manufacturer |title=BP Solarex Becomes World's Largest PV Manufacturer |author= |date=1 May 1999 |website= |publisher=BuildingGreen |access-date=27 June 2024}} In 1999 it acquired Enron's stake in Solarex and consolidated its PV divisions into a new subsidiary named BP Solarex.{{cite news |title=Company news; BP Amoco plans to buy remaining 50% stake in Solarex |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/04/07/business/company-news-bp-amoco-plans-to-buy-remaining-50-stake-in-solarex.html |access-date=13 March 2019 |publisher=Dow Jones |date=7 April 1999}} In that year the company became the world's leading PV producer.{{cite book |last1=Wolfe |first1=Philip |title=The Solar Generation |date=2018 |publisher=Wiley - IEEE |isbn=9781119425588 |page=207|title-link=The Solar Generation }} In 2001 the division renamed itself BP Solar.{{cite web |url=https://eepower.com/news/bp-solarex-to-become-bp-solar/# |title=BP Solarex To Become BP Solar |last=Shepard |first=Jeff |date=1 May 1999 |website=EEPower |publisher=EETech Group |access-date=27 June 2024}}

BP Solar and Indian firm Tata Power established Tata BP Solar, a joint venture company, in 1989.{{cite web|title=HISTORY & MILESTONES|url=http://www.tatapowersolar.com/Company-Milestones|website=Tata Power Solar|access-date=9 March 2017}} The company began commercial operations in 1991 by establishing its first manufacturing unit with a production capacity of 3 MW in India.{{cite web|title=Tata Power Solar Is First Indian Company To Ship 1 Gigawatt Of Solar Modules|url=https://cleantechnica.com/2017/03/01/tata-power-solar-first-indian-company-ship-1-gigawatt-solar-modules/|website=CleanTechnica|access-date=9 March 2017|date=March 2017}} BP Solar exited the joint venture in 2012, and Tata BP Solar became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Tata Group.{{cite press release |author= |title=Tata BP Solar India Limited renamed as Tata Power Solar Systems Limited – a new beginning for India's pioneering solar company! |url=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/ |location= |publisher=Tata Power Solar |agency= |date=31 August 2012 |access-date=27 June 2024}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://solarcapturetechnologies.com/sct-news/hello-world-2-917|title=Solar Capture Technologies launched|access-date=2013-05-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150130113240/http://solarcapturetechnologies.com/sct-news/hello-world-2-917|archive-date=2015-01-30|url-status=dead}} In 2010, it closed down the factory at Frederick, Maryland.{{cite news|title= Solarex fades away |first= Bruce|last= Mulliken|url= http://www.green-energy-news.com/arch/nrgs2010/20100020.html|access-date= 15 March 2013|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130726025317/http://www.green-energy-news.com/arch/nrgs2010/20100020.html|archive-date= 26 July 2013|url-status= dead}} BP Solar closed on 21 December 2011 when BP announced its departure from the solar energy business.{{cite news | work = Reuters | title = BP turns out lights at solar business | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bp-solar-idUSTRE7BK1CC20111221 | first1 = Tom | last1 = Bergin | first2 = Sarah | last2 = Young | date = 21 December 2011 | access-date=21 December 2011}}{{cite web |url=https://www.greenbiz.com/article/bp-close-its-solar-business-after-40-years |title=BP to Close Its Solar Business after 40 Years |author= |publisher=Business Green |access-date=26 February 2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240627200348/https://www.buildinggreen.com/news-analysis/bp-solarex-becomes-worlds-largest-pv-manufacturer |archive-date=27 June 2024}}

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{{Cite news |date=2021-06-01 |title=BP invests $220 million in U.S. solar projects |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/bp-invests-220-million-us-solar-development-projects-2021-06-01/ |access-date=2023-06-14}}

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.{{Cite journal |last=Liang |first=Tian |date=2016 |title=Rural Electrification in East Malaysia : Achieving optimal power generation system and sustainability of rural electrification projects |s2cid=114219956 }} In the mid-1980s BP installed Solar power for Microwave repeater stations across Sierra Leone in support of a telecommunications network restoration.{{cn|date=February 2024}}

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.[http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/renewable/recp/projects.html Renewable Energy Commercialisation Programme] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070220213558/http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/renewable/recp/projects.html |date=2007-02-20 }}

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{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.bp.com/sectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=9025019&contentId=7046515 BP Alternative Energy site] (original BP Solar site defunct; redirect)
• {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070926231054/http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=47861 BP Solar to expand its solar cell plants]}}
• [http://www.originenergy.com.au/news/news_detail.php?pageid=82&newsid=201 Australia's largest city solar project contract awarded]
• [https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601102&sid=axQSsIKDgPfE&refer=uk BP Plans to Invest $1.5 Billion in Alternative Energy]
• [http://www.solarcapturetechnologies.com Solar Capture Technologies, the company formed from BP Solar UK]

{{Solar power in the United States}}

{{BP}}

Category:Solar energy companies of Europe

Category:Photovoltaics manufacturers

Category:Former BP subsidiaries

Category:Manufacturing companies based in Madrid