Chevron to test youthful solar systems at aging oil refinery

In a move bound to be interpreted in some quarters as symbolic of the company’s evolving low carbon energy strategy, oil giant Chevron announced yesterday that it is to use one of its former refineries in California to host a major new research project to assess the effectiveness of competing next generation solar technologies. The company said its new Project Brightfield research programme would be sited at its former refinery in Bakersfield, California, and would aim to evaluate the performance of seven emerging photovoltaic technologies, including six thin film systems and one crystalline-silicon photovoltaic technology. “By bringing together seven emerging solar technologies, Project Brightfield represents one of the most comprehensive solar energy tests of its kind and is an innovative approach to evaluating new technologies,” said Des King, president of Chevron Technology Ventures. “Testing competing technologies side by side means that we can better understand their potential application at other Chevron facilities.” The company said that the project would see 7,700 solar panels installed on the eight acre site, providing approximately 740kW of electricity that will be fed into the grid, as well as used directly at the company’s nearby facility at Kern River Field. More…

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