GE and Mortenson Team up on Installer-Friendly Utility Solar Demonstration Project
Industry Experts Focus on Reducing Cost with Innovative Process Improvements
LOS ANGELES, CALIF. - GE (NYSE: GE) announced today it will be working with Mortenson Construction to install a 700 kilowatt ground mounted thin film PV system demonstration project. Mortenson has installed thousands of GE wind turbines in North America and the two companies will now be analyzing innovative ways to reduce solar cost through new technology and rigorous process improvements.
The demonstration project will focus on GE's Utility Scale Solar Plant, which includes GE's thin film modules, racking and cabling and Brilliance(TM) inverters and SunIQ(TM) monitoring and control system, as well as GE-Prolec transformers. The solar plant also will come with a system-wide performance guarantee that is backed by the strength of GE. It will be located in Durham, N.C.
"Working together with Mortenson, GE will show how the best-in-class solar technologies incorporated into GE's Utility Scale Solar Plant offer the lowest cost of electricity in large-scale solar installations," said Victor Abate, vice president of renewable energy for GE Power & Water. "We believe that customers, as well as financiers, will look favorably on GE's newly engineered equipment package."
"This demonstration project will help GE and Mortenson, who have proved success in the U.S. wind turbine industry, best prepare for the growth in the utility scale solar space," said Mark Donahue, general manager of Mortenson's Renewable Energy Groups. To date, Mortenson has been involved in the construction of more than 80 wind power projects, totaling more than 8,000 megawatts across the United States and Canada.
About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) is a diversified infrastructure, finance and media company taking on the world's toughest challenges. From aircraft engines and power generation to financial services, health care solutions and television programming, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs about 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.
GE serves the energy sector by developing and deploying technology that helps make efficient use of natural resources. With nearly 85,000 global employees and 2009 revenues of $40 billion, GE Energy www.ge.com/energy is one of the world's leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technologies. The businesses that comprise GE Energy-GE Power & Water, GE Energy Services and GE Oil & Gas-work together to provide integrated product and service solutions in all areas of the energy industry including coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy; renewable resources such as water, wind, solar and biogas; and other alternative fuels.
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