BP Solar, Petra Solar to develop solar AC systems for utilities

San Francisco, CA & South Plainfield, NJ  - BP Solar and Petra Solar, Inc. today announced plans to cooperate in the development of Alternating Current (AC) solar module products, initially targeting distributed utility-scale projects.  The companies will integrate Petra Solar microinverter and smart grid capabilities with specially designed BP Solar photovoltaic (PV) solar module expertise.

“The utility grade solar PV market is expanding rapidly, particularly here in the US. Petra Solar is developing products that enable distributed solar generation and smart grid technology and we are working to combine this technology with proven and reliable BP Solar PV modules,” said BP Solar CEO Reyad Fezzani.

 “BP Solar is expanding its activities in the utility grade solar PV market and is excited to include Petra Solar in this collaboration,” Fezzani said. “We plan to expand our collaboration into other intelligent solar generation applications tailored to provide solutions to our customers.”

“BP Solar is a leader in the PV industry and has been producing products of high quality and proven reliability that have been tested in the field for over 20 years. BP Solar also has a track record of developing large scale solar PV farms in collaboration with the world’s leading utilities,” said Dr. Shihab Kuran, founder, president and CEO of Petra Solar.  “In addition to global reach, BP Solar also brings research and development along with manufacturing expertise, combined with a commitment to developing the US market. It is truly a unique partner for Petra Solar,” said Dr. Kuran, 

BP Solar, part of BP Alternative Energy, is a global company with about 2,200 employees. BP Solar designs, manufactures and markets products which use the sun's energy to generate electricity for use in the residential, commercial and industrial sectors. With over 35 years of experience and installations in most countries, BP Solar is one of the world's leading solar companies having manufacturing plants in: Xi’an, China; Bangalore, India; and Frederick, MD, USA. BP Solar invests more than $10M annually in photovoltaic research and development.

Petra Solar, Inc. designs and manufactures intelligent utility grade SunWave™ solar energy solutions that combine distributed solar generation with Smart Grid technology. These systems allow utilities to deploy significant solar generation faster, utilizing existing assets and time tested deployment strategies. Petra Soar’s products are backed by a strong and exclusive IP portfolio of over 15 granted and pending patents. The Petra Solar team is uniquely equipped to provide Utility ROI analysis and greatly accelerate deployment of utility grade solar systems. Please visit www.petrasolar.com for more information.

 Media Contacts:

BP Solar

Pete Resler, BP Solar   415 519-7637

pete.resler@bp.com

 Tom Mueller, BP Press Office   281 366-1236

 Petra Solar

Evan Vogel   732 379-5567

utilities@petrasolar.com