BP Solar

BP Solar was a global leader in photovoltaic technology from its founding in 1981 until its closure in December 2011. Originally established when British Petroleum acquired Lucas Energy Systems' solar business, it grew rapidly through acquisitions—most notably Amoco’s Solarex division—and became one of the world’s largest manufacturers and installers of PV modules by the early 2000s. Headquartered at various times in Madrid (Spain) and Houston (USA), with major production facilities across North America, Europe, India, China, and Australia, it served customers worldwide.
The company offered a full suite of products including PV cells/panels as well as system design/installation services for residential to utility-scale projects. It also engaged heavily in R&D before selling that division to Narec UK in 2004. At its peak around 1999–2005 it held a significant share (~20%) of global PV manufacturing capacity. However, facing intense competition from lower-cost Asian manufacturers after 2009—and following strategic shifts within parent company BP—BP Solar ceased operations at the end of 2011.
Today’s continuation of large-scale solar development under “bp” occurs via Lightsource bp—a separate entity fully acquired by bp p.l.c. as recently as October 2024—which focuses on utility-scale project development globally but does not use “BP Solar” branding or legacy assets directly.