By Greentech
Lead Team: GE announced it will supply 23 megawatts (MW) of advanced solar
equipment to Invenergy, an independent wind power generation company, for its
Grand Ridge Solar project, at Illinois.
The Grand
Ridge Solar site is located in La Salle County, Ill., adjacent to Invenergy’s
Grand Ridge Wind project. Invenergy owns and operates Grand Ridge Wind, where
140 of GE’s 1.5 MW series wind turbines are providing 210 MW of power.
“As we look
to continue the expansion of our clean energy portfolio, advancements in
technology have made solar a more competitive solution, Having installed over
1,500 of GE’s wind turbines at projects across the United States, integrating
GE’s solar technology is a natural fit,” said
Michael Polsky, Invenergy’s president and chief executive officer.
GE also will
supply packaged inverter skids that include Brilliance inverters, transformers
and re-combiners, as well as GE SunIQ plant controls. The SunIQ platform
will enhance the grid integration capability of the solar plant.
This 23-Megawatt
Contract is Largest Solar Equipment Supply Project Agreement in the Midwest and
marks the expansion of GE’s Leadership in Renewable Energy Space with
27-Gigawatts Installed Globally.
“Invenergy
again has established itself as a market leader by bringing its development
capabilities to both wind and solar projects. Expertise in multiple
technologies is the future of the renewable energy landscape. At GE, we’re
uniquely able to partner on both wind and solar projects with customers like
Invenergy,” said Victor Abate, vice president of GE’s Renewable Energy
business.
Recently, GE announced
its plans to build the country’s largest solar panel factory in Aurora, Colo.
At capacity, the new factory will produce enough panels per year to power
80,000 homes and will highlight a $600 million investment in GE’s solar business.