BP Solar Receives New 'VDE Quality Tested' Seal at Intersolar / VDE certification substantiates reliability and quality of BP Solar modules / New VDE test approach exceeds all existing test standards

Hamburg/ München (ots) - BP Solar, a leading designer and marketer
of photovoltaic (PV) products, is one of the very first companies
certified by the Association for Electrical, Electronic & Information
Technologies (VDE) to comply with its new testing requirements. BP
Solar modules are now entitled to carry the 'VDE Quality Tested'
seal, which will be displayed at this years Intersolar Europe
international exhibition in Munich after the official certification
award ceremony by the VDE.

In order to validate increased reliability and sustainability to
solar energy investors the VDE together with its partner Fraunhofer
Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE has developed a new quality
level for the testing and certification of PV modules. As one of the
key players in the PV industry, BP Solar has substantially
contributed to the progress of the expanded VDE test approach.

"We are very proud being among the first PV companies receiving
the new 'VDE Quality Tested' certificate. This is a terrific
independent validation of the lower investment risks we provide to
our customers due to the increased reliability and quality of our
modules." says David Arndt, Global Product Director at BP Solar.

The novel VDE test approach goes well beyond existing standards.
It requires regular laboratory controls of modules with increased
test time and sample rates exceeding international test standards.
Main enhancements over all existing standards are progressive
manufacturing in-line quality tests controlled and audited by the
VDE. Some of the defined in-line tests are required for 100 percent
of the modules produced.

"With nearly 40 years of experience in module design and testing
we were pleased to support the 'VDE Quality Tested' initiative from
the start by intensive sharing of our test results and experience."
explains Chris LaMothe, Product Development and Technology Director
at BP Solar.

The VDE test procedure has been developed to prove increased
reliability and durability as well as to validate lower degradation
rates in modules. Compared with the test procedure of the IEC 61215
and IEC 61730 the VDE approach additionally requires the following
enhancements:

High reliability

- Testing with increased number of samples
- Testing with enhanced testing time and number of cycles

Optimized durability

- Additional dynamic load test
- Robustness of terminations test with increased force

Low degradation

- Improved pass/fail criteria
- Maximum degradation of the power of 5% over the enhanced test
sequence

Continuous line monitoring

- Stricter and upgraded requirements within the 100% routine test
- Quarterly testing on production samples collected from the
running lines of each factory

Notes to Editors:

For more information and questions on the VDE certification, we
invite you to join the award ceremony at the stand of the VDE
Institute at the Intersolar Europe exhibition:

Thursday, 09th June, at 9.30 a.m. in Hall A4 - booth A4.480

Up-to-date photo material accompanying this press release can be
downloaded free of charge from the BP Solar website www.bpsolar.de,
under the press tab / photos from 15th June.

Background information:

About the VDE

With 35,000 members (including 1,300 companies, 8,000 students and
4,000 young professionals) and 1,000 employees, the Association for
Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies (VDE) is one of the
largest technical and scientific associations in Europe. The VDE
embraces science, standardization work and product testing and
certification under one roof. The VDE mark, known and respected by 67
percent of Germans, is considered to be a symbol for the highest
safety standards. The Institute's independent test engineers subject
more than 100,000 electric and electronic products a year to rigorous
tests before affixing the VDE mark. VDE experts supervise over 7,000
manufacturing plants throughout the world. Cooperation agreements
with more than 50 countries ensure that the inspections conducted by
the VDE Institute are internationally recognized. More than 200,000
product families and well over a million individual products
worldwide carry VDE certification marks. The VDE works in the fields
of information technology, energy, medical engineering,
microelectronics, micro- and nanotechnology and automation.

For more information, please visit www.vde.com. Certificate and
product data sheet of the 'VDE Quality Tested' seal can be seen at:
http://www.vde.com/certificate - reference no. 40032588.

About BP Solar

BP Solar part of BP Alternative Energy, is a global company that
designs, manufactures and markets solar energy products and provides
complete solar energy solutions for the residential, commercial,
industrial and utility sectors. With almost 40 years of experience
and over 1.3 gigawatts sold in more than 160 countries, BP Solar is
one of the world's leading solar companies. It is a pioneer in
developing crystalline silicon photovoltaic technologies and
continues to drive PV technology forward through its US-based
research and development center.

About BP Alternative Energy

BP Alternative Energy is a portfolio of some of the fastest
growing energy businesses in the world today. Since 2005, BP has
invested over $5 billion against a commitment to invest $8bn up to
2015 in renewable energy sources. BP is investing in biofuels, wind
and solar while building long term options in carbon capture &
storage and clean technology.

For more information about BP Solar or BP Alternative Energy,
please take a look at the websites www.bpsolar.de, www.bpsolar.com,
www.bpalternativenergy.com .

Pressekontakt:
Ludmila Fuhrmann
Telephone: +49 (0)40 6395 3846
Fax: +49 (0)40 6395 3850
Email: Ludmila.Fuhrmann@de.bp.com