Whos Using Solar Electricity Today?
This BP Amoco service station sits on the corner of LaSalle and Ontario Streets in the heart of Chicago. On top of the pump-island canopy are 140 BP Solar Millennia thin-film PV modules. They generate about 6 kilowatts of electricity, accounting for 10% to 15% of the station’s power needs. The system is connected directly to the local utility rather than to a storage battery, which reduces the station’s demand for utility-supplied power, and thus, its utility bill. The modules are essentially maintenance-free and carry a 20-year warranty. BP Solar is installing similar solar-powered canopies at service stations in Illinois and throughout the United States. (Credit: U.S.
