Which next-generation solar technologies provide the most energy? Chevron Corporation is currently conducting a comprehensive test to learn the answer, and while Chevron’s goal is determining the use of renewable power at company-owned facilities, the results could help all of us.
The task involves turning a former refinery site in Bakersfield, California, into Project Brightfield, where seven emerging photovoltaic technologies are lined up side-by-side. Six of the test products are thin-film technologies, while one is 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, the division of Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
The 7,700 solar panels on the 8-acre site will generate roughly 740kW of electricity, which will be directed to the local utility and to Chevron’s oil production operations.
