Lee Edwards, BP Solar Chief Executive, Honored With Maryland International Leadership Award

FREDERICK, Md., March 12 /PRNewswire/ — BP Solar chief executive Lee Edwards today will be honored by the Maryland World Trade Center Institute with a 2008 Maryland International Business Leadership award. The awards are given to company leaders who have demonstrated exceptional business leadership, determination, and innovative strategic approaches in international business. The winners were selected among a competitive roster of 80 business leaders and voted on by the International Business Leadership Awards Committee.

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“BP Solar and Lee Edwards emerged as a clear winner from a large list of nominees this year. With double digit sales growth, leading-edge technology across the globe, and significant investments in the Frederick facility, we are proud to honor BP Solar and Lee Edwards with Maryland’s prestigious International Business Leadership Award,” said Deborah Kielty, president and executive director of the World Trade Center Institute.

BP Solar, headquartered in Frederick, MD, is a leading provider of branded solar electric modules and installed systems, with sales and marketing activities around the world. Through its 30 plus years of operation, it has grown to become a leader in the global solar electricity sector with over 2200 employees in its plants and facilities in Frederick, Madrid, Spain; Bangalore, India; Xi’an, China, and Sydney, Australia. The Frederick facility is currently undergoing a $97 million expansion to increase its casting and wafering capabilities. The company invests more than $10 million annually in solar power research and development, including a collaboration of 12 partners sponsored by the US Department of Energy under the Solar America Initiative.

The business’s portfolio also includes TataBP Solar, a joint venture with Tata Power in India, for which Edwards is a Director, and another JV with TBEA/SunOasis in Xi’an China. Recent successes include new product offers through the Home Depot and projects to install large-scale solar power systems on several Wal-Mart stores in California.

This award comes on the heels of two workplace and community initiatives recently announced by BP Solar. Just last week, BP Solar was honored with the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce’s Workforce Development Award which is bestowed upon a private sector employer that has consistently made workforce development a priority by offering its Frederick County employees training and education opportunities or by investing money or other resources in local programs that positively affect local workforce development.

Over the past two years, BP Solar has partnered with Frederick Community College Customized Training and Frederick County Workforce Services to develop training and retention programs for their workforce. BP Solar has invested thousands of dollars to train its employees in areas such as process mapping, mechanical and industrial training, and electrical diagrams and schematics. As a result, BP Solar has a more informed workforce that ensures a sustainable prospect for employees and BP Solar alike.

Additionally, BP Solar and Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) penned a partnership agreement earlier this month to deepen their relationship to support education in the Frederick community. The partnership provides the two organizations with common objectives: to provide educational materials on alterative energy; to allow students to experience hands-on investigations using real-world activities; to connect industry experts to students and teachers through classroom visits and school fieldtrips; and to provide state- of-the-art solar equipment toward the construction of the FCPS Earth and Space Science Lab.

The partnership is the second stage of a relationship that began in late 2006. Through the initial agreement, BP Solar donated nearly $30,000 worth of energy education materials, produced by the National Energy Education Development (NEED) project, for fifth grade science classes. As part of the new partnership BP Solar has committed to provide an additional $30,000 worth of NEED materials in energy education for eighth grade science education and environmental science for high school education. The company will also host classes to tour its facility, provide speakers on the topic of solar energy and supply solar modules for the planned Earth and Space Science Lab.

About BP Solar

BP Solar, part of BP Alternative Energy, is a global company with over 2300 employees. BP Solar designs, manufactures and markets products which use the sun’s energy to generate electricity for a wide range of applications in the residential, commercial and industrial sectors. With over 30 years of experience and installations in more than 160 countries, BP Solar is one of the world’s leading solar companies having 228MW annual manufacturing capacity in 2007, plus another 700MW capacity under construction. BP Solar has solar cell and module manufacturing plants in Sydney, Australia; Bangalore, India; Madrid, Spain; and Frederick, MD, USA; and module manufacturing in Xi’an, China. In Frederick it also has casting and wafering facilities. BP Solar invests more than $10m annually in photovoltaic research and development.

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BP Solar

CONTACT: BP press office, +1-202-457-6603

Web site: http://www.bp.com/