You know it is time to make the switch to solar when you’re using solar steam generators to extract oil! From Oil and Gas Journal:
The world’s first commercial thermal enhanced oil recovery project that uses solar steam generators went on line Feb. 24 at Berry Petroleum Co.’s heavy oil 21Z lease in McKittrick, Calif.
…GlassPoint built the solar unit in less than 6 weeks and estimates that its facililty on the 21Z lease will supply during the day about an average 1 million btu/hr of solar heat and replace 25-80% of the steam generated by gas-fired boilers on the lease.
The challenge: solar is used for heat and electricity; oil is used for transportation.