GE's WindBOOST Brings Increased Energy Production to 2,000th Wind Turbine


• GE Enables Additional 341,000 MWh for Customers across U.S. through System Upgrade

• WindBOOST Upgrades Increase Average Annual Energy Production by up to 4 Percent

• WindBOOST Footprint includes 15 States across the Country



CHICAGO – GE (NYSE: GE) today announced the 2,000th installation of WindBOOST, a wind turbine controls system upgrade for GE's 1.5 and 2.5 megawatt series that helps increase annual energy production of a wind farm by allowing for increased power output. Using WindBOOST, wind operators have increased their energy output by a total of 341,000 megawatt hours (MWh). The global wind-boosted fleet includes turbines from numerous GE customers including Invenergy, First Wind and EDPR.



"At Invenergy, we're dedicated to optimizing our operating fleet economics, and WindBOOST is a product that provides exactly that opportunity," said Alex George, senior vice president of operations and asset management, Invenergy. "WindBOOST is a prime example of GE leveraging the vast amount of data from its existing fleet and using it to innovate products which benefit our existing assets."



"GE's WindBOOST technology is providing meaningful return to us at First Wind," said First Wind CEO Paul Gaynor. "Partnering with GE on emerging technologies has given us the opportunity to be at the front line of product enhancements for the wind industry. We are looking forward to working with GE on more technology projects in the future to generate maximum value at our projects and to deliver cost-effective cleaner energy to homes and businesses."



"EDPR has opted to take a proactive approach to increasing wind turbine production across our fleet. Few products currently on the market can actually change the production budget of a wind farm; however, GE's WindBOOST technology is exciting because it allows us to alter the economics of our projects. We have implemented WindBOOST on numerous turbines across our fleet with success," said Brian Hayes, senior vice president of asset operations, EDPR.



WindBOOST works by monitoring the air density of the turbine in real time and accordingly increases the rotational speed of the generator. This results in an increased output of nearly 100-kilowatt hours (kW), enhancing productivity from 1,500 kW to 1,600 kW for a standard turbine.



WindBOOST is automatically activated depending on wind speed, weather and terrain conditions, increasing the energy produced by each wind turbine by up to 4 percent. The WindBOOST upgrade, equipped with remote power capabilities for added flexibility, was designed to maintain electrical and mechanical loading within the confines of the existing turbine design.



"WindBOOST enables the flexibility to extract maximum value from operators' existing wind assets without decreasing life expectancy or making significant hardware or component changes," said Andy Holt, general manager of wind services for GE's renewable energy business. "This milestone is a testament to the proven ability of WindBOOST to enhance productivity and maximize revenue for customers in a wide array of wind and weather conditions, terrain configurations and ISO markets."



WindBOOST is part of GE’s suite of wind service offerings that increase annual energy production. GE is harnessing the power of the Industrial Internet and using software and analytics to make its machines smarter and more efficient. In addition to WindBOOST, GE wind services provide value to customers through advanced software products such as WindCONTROL, Turbine Performance Optimization, Winter Ice Operation Mode and PulsePOINT.



About GE



GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.



About GE Power & Water



GE Power & Water provides customers with a broad array of power generation, energy delivery and water process technologies to solve their challenges locally. Power & Water works in all areas of the energy industry including renewable resources such as wind and solar, biogas and alternative fuels; and coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy. The business also develops advanced technologies to help solve the world's most complex challenges related to water availability and quality. Power & Water’s six business units include Distributed Power, Nuclear Energy, Power Generation Services, Renewable Energy, Thermal Products and Water & Process Technologies. Headquartered in Schenectady, N.Y., Power & Water is GE’s largest industrial business.



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Media contacts:



Lindsay Theile

GE Power & Water

Phone: +518 385 3194

Email: lindsay.theile@ge.com



Katelyn Buress

GE Power & Water

Phone: +1 518 362 6154

Email: katelyn.buress@ge.com



Matt Tulis

E.ON Climate & Renewables

Phone: +1 512 482 4026

Email: matthew.tulis@eon.com






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