Founder Tobin Booth, CEO Headquarters Davis Type of business Private | Website www.blueoakenergy.com Founded 2003 | |
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Industry Renewable energy, Photovoltaic, Solar energy | ||
Blue oak energy
Blue Oak Energy is an American full-service photovoltaic system design, engineering and construction firm. The company engineers and constructs commercial and utility solar photovoltaic (PV) energy systems in the United States and abroad.
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The company engineered and constructed the Google campus in Mountain View, California, the San Francisco International Airport, and the 37MW Long Island Solar Farm, and has designed solar installations for Whole Foods, Staples, Walmart, the US Navy, and the State of California.
History
In 2003, Tobin Booth established Blue Oak Energy, with a single customer. The firm was founded in Davis, California and continues to be headquartered there.
Three years later, the firm was selected to engineer the campus-wide distributed generation solar facility at the Google headquarters in Mountain View, California. The 2006 project took approximately one year to design, engineer and construct. Upon completion, the system offset nearly 30% of the campus' peak power.
In 2008, Blue Oak Energy began delivering a portfolio of commercial rooftop solar projects for REI retail stores and warehouse facilities throughout the United States. The company eventually built out a total of 23 rooftop and carport solar facilities.
By late 2011, the firm had partnered with Baker Electric Solar to complete the design and construction oversight for a 1.5MW project for the U.S. Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, California. The project involved mounting a system across several rooftops as part of a larger renovation at the complex. During this project, Blue Oak Energy designed custom hardware for the solar panel mounting.
In December 2012, Blue Oak Energy constructed Arizona's largest rooftop solar array (4.2MW) at a First Solar facility, which was later acquired by Apple.
By 2013, the firm engineered and constructed a 4.4MW utility scale solar farm located in Shasta County, California. The solar farm would later be acquired by PSEG, and is expected to power approximately 725 homes.
In 2014, Blue Oak Energy engineered and constructed the 2.6MW Putah Creek Solar Farm near Davis, California. That same year, the firm engineered and constructed the 908kW Fortinet distributed generation solar campus project in Santa Clara, California.
Recognition and awards
In 2009, CoolCalifornia.org recognized the firm for their sustainable practices and community outreach.
During 2013, Blue Oak Energy placed at #629 in Inc. Magazine's annual listing of the 5,000 fastest growing private companies in the United States.
In 2014, Solar Power World Magazine listed Blue Oak Energy as the #98 solar contractor in the United States. In September of that year, the League of American Bicyclists officially recognized the company as a "Bicycle Friendly Business".