News From BP | Green Energy News

May 16 2004 – Vol.9 No.8

NEWS FROM BP.

BP, the BP Foundation and BP Solar have awarded the University of Delaware and Delaware State University a total of $3.75 million in grants and donations for solar energy, fuel cell and hydrogen research.

The University of Delaware will receive a donation of equipment from BP Solar valued at $1.5 million as well as a $1.35 million grant to the Institute of Energy Conversion for research into new ways of manufacturing highly-efficient solar cells.

Additionally BP and the BP Foundation have awarded $900,000 in research grants to be distributed over three years to the Delaware institutions in support of a Clean Energy Center proposed by Delaware’s Governor Ruth Ann Minner. With the funding the University will conduct research on hydrogen policy and initiatives along with research on fuel cell catalysts. Delaware State University will undertake research into hydrogen storage materials.

BP Solar has also announced two new building integrated solar products.

PowerGlaz, a solar glazing product line, utilizes solar cells laminated between two layers of glass. The product can used in place of glass in many situations - windows, skylights, building cladding - in instances where the restricted transmission of light is acceptable but solar power generation is desirable. PowerGlaz will be available in the U.K. later this year.

The other building integrated solar products are solar roof tiles developed with U.K roofing manufacturer Marley Roofing. The solar roofing tiles, known as SolarTile(tm), also have photovoltaic cells laminated in glass but are manufactured in sizes that match other Marley roofing tile products. For now, the tiles will be available for the U.K. domestic market.

Romag, a U.K. company specializing in laminated glass, will be making the PowerGlaz panels for BP in a partnership agreement and will also make the glass for SolarTiles.

BP has made a strong commitment to the new products and will dedicate about 14 percent of is 50 megawatts annual solar cell production to the new product lines. Romag will be able to produce 7 megawatts of PowerGlaz and roofing tile products each year. Romag can apparently double production output by adding just one machine. Visit BP Solar at http://www.bpsolar.com/ , Romag at http://www.romag.co.uk and Marley Roofing at http://www.marleyroofing.co.uk/ .