Next* Magazine, Issue 5 - Chevron

PHOTO: maRC maRRiOTT
Solar energy is both elegantly simple and
fiendishly complex. On the surface it looks
as easy as placing photovoltaic (PV) panels in
the sun, wiring them up and enjoying endless
electricity. But in reality it takes highly trained
experts to design and build solar systems,
and there are hundreds of technologies and
products from which to choose.
In addition, a PV panel’s efficiency is influenced
by the local climate. Even modest solar
power plants can cost tens of millions of dollars,
so planners must be certain that a panel
will perform well in real-world conditions.
This is especially important in the Middle
East. Most PV panels are designed and
installed in places with mild climates, such as
Europe, Japan and the United States. But in
countries like Qatar, where summer temperatures
regularly exceed 110 degrees Fahrenheit
(43º C) and can reach as high as 135 degrees
(57º C), there is scant rain to wash off the
dust from the panels, and counterintuitively,
PV cells actually perform worse as they
get hotter.
As part of Chevron’s five-year commitment
to the Qatar Science & Technology
Park (QSTP), the company is investing
$10 million in the Center for Sustainable
Energy Efficiency (CSEE), which opened in
March 2011. Chevron also is establishing a
solar test facility at QSTP in collaboration
with GreenGulf Inc., a Qatari clean technology
and renewable energy company. The $20 million
facility, in which Chevron and GreenGulf
At Chevron’s Center for Sustainable Energy Efficiency in Qatar, Abdalla Al-Qatami
(left) and Chevron energy engineer Amer Al-Rayahi explore an interactive exhibit:
the color mixer. The mixer demonstrates the results in the color spectrum of the
different temperatures of light, shown as combinations of red, green and blue. The
intersection of these colors creates new secondary colors, while the combination
of all three creates white.
A Solar System for Qatar
Qatar’s climate presents special challenges
for solar panels, but Chevron and its partners
are testing ways to improve performance.
Explore Qatar and Chevron’s projects in the country
at Chevron.com/Next/CSEE.
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