On an 8-acre dirt plot, which used to be one of their old refineries pumping out gasoline and asphalt, the oil powerhouse Chevron will begin testing seven emerging photovoltaic technologies to add to their energy portfolio.The test site will be home to 7,700 solar panels. The seven different photovoltaic solar technologies represented will come from seven different solar companies that are in a position to manage the power demand for all of Chevron's worldwide operations. Of the seven technologies, six are thin-film technologies from Abound Solar, MiaSolé, Schüco, Solar Frontier, Sharp, and Solibro, and one is a crystalline-silicon photovoltaic technology from Innovalight. Chevron will monitor all of the panels to compare performance and cost versus output.With operations in 100 countries, Chevron officials say that they are looking for solar panels that are significantly affordable but still more reliable and efficient than other
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