Canadian Solar Inks Major Panel Supply Deal With Lightsource BP

Canadian Solar Inc. has announced the signing of a multi-year module supply agreement with Lightsource BP for projects in the USA and Australia.

The deal involves 1.2 GW of Canadian Solar’s BiHiKu (CS3W-PB-AG) polycrystalline bifacial and HiKu (CS3W-P) polycrystalline PERC solar panels.

Bifacial solar panels generate electricity by capturing light from both the front and rear side of the module.

“The very high output of the BiHiKu bifacial modules will maximize the power generation in a limited area of plant site, while dramatically reducing the Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) of the power plant,” says Canadian Solar.

Among the Lightsource BP Australian projects that might be using Canadian Solar panels is West Wyalong Solar Farm. The venture is a $135 million PV + battery storage project in New South Wales’ Central West region, which received a green light from the NSW Government late last year.

The 90MW (AC) facility will incorporate 296,000 solar panels and 50MW / 90MWh of battery storage. Construction of the plant is expected to commence in the final quarter of this year.

Lightsource BP was founded in 2010 as Lightsource Renewable Energy. In 2017 BP announced it would acquire a 43% stake in the firm through a USD $200 million investment – and subsequently the name changed to Lightsource BP. According to the company, it has an operational solar portfolio of 2GW capacity.

New BP Boss’s Solar Surprise

In somewhat related news, 100 Greenpeace activists delivered 500 solar panels to BP’s London Headquarters in St James’ Square early this morning local time to welcome the company’s new boss, Bernard Looney.

Actually, it wasn’t a welcome – it was a protest against the company’s ongoing deep involvement in fossil fuels.

Probably not Canadian Solar panels

“Their new CEO needs to accept that if BP wants to keep trading in the twenty-first century, they need to switch to 100% renewable energy,” said Greenpeace climate campaigner Richard George. “We’re not going to settle for a green-themed rebrand, solar panels on their petrol stations or wind turbines on their oil rigs.”

BP released a short statement regarding the action, saying Mr. Looney shares the activists’ deep concern about climate change and will set out his low carbon ambition for BP next week.

The activists have vowed to keep the offices closed to ensure “Mr Looney’s mind is focused on the most important part of his new job, how to stop causing the climate crisis”.