The New York Times article, “Chevron Testing Solar Technologies”, by Todd Woody, discusses how the oil company Chevron is recycling the grounds of an old oil refinery in Bakersfield, CA into a testing ground for new solar technologies. The company narrowed a list of 180 solar companies down to 7 finalists and is currently installing a total of 7,700 photovoltaic solar cells from these finalists onto the 18 acres of testing ground. Over a three year time frame these cells will be used to generate electricity to run the nearby oil operations and any generated electricity in excess of the needed 740 kilowatts will be routed into the grid. Chevron has stated that they are not just testing the efficiency of each technology, but also the start to finish costs in terms of time and money to install each technology and the operation and maintenance costs of each. Once the testing is completed at least one of these technologies will be used at Chevron facilities around the world.
This article is of interest because it is an example of one of the larger oil companies making a conscious effort to help lead the nation into a cleaner energy future. They are not cutting the use of oil but they are reusing some of the land that was devoted to the oil industry in a very beneficial manner that will also benefit the economy. Four of the seven technologies that are being tested are from domestic companies and a few of those are start-up companies that are getting their first commercial contract. Even if those domestic companies are not chosen for use by Chevron the results of the testing will likely be released and this test could lead to increased contracts for these domestic solar companies. Therefore through this project Chevron is cleaning up aspects of its oil operation, while also presenting an opportunity for 7 solar technology companies to demonstrate their capabilities, and potentially inflate the U.S. economy should some of these domestic start-up companies receive increased business as a result of the testing.
--Josh Johnson
