From GE:

UVIG Awards GE for Leadership and Expertise in Global Renewable Integration and Grid Reliability

April 27, 2016

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• GE Recognized for Work on Essential Reliability Services Task Force, Contributions to Industry Standards Development, the Pan-Canadian Wind Integration Study and Support in Guiding China’s Recent Power Sector Reform Initiatives
• Awards Presented at UVIG’s 2016 Spring Technical Workshop and Annual Meeting

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. — April 27, 2016 — GE (NYSE: GE) today announced that five members of its Energy Consulting group, Nick Miller, Bahman Daryanian, Derek Stenclik, Jason MacDowell and Baozhuang Shi have been recognized by the Utility Variable-Generation Integration Group (UVIG) for their leadership and contributions to multiple renewables integration and grid reliability projects in the past year. The group was recognized at the UVIG 2016 Spring Technical Workshop and Annual Meeting, which took place yesterday, April 26, in Sacramento, California.

“At UVIG, we realize how significant the integration and reliable operation of variable generation on electric power systems can be to ensuring future grids can accommodate ever-increasing energy demands,” said Charlie Smith, executive director, UVIG. “This is why we are recognizing those in the industry that are leading the way as we work to create more sustainable and reliable power grids. Through the collaborative efforts of stakeholders such as federal agencies, trade associations and research organizations, our industry can identify and implement the best solutions and processes available to develop forward-thinking practices for integrating renewables into grid systems.”

Miller, as part of the leadership of the Essential Reliability Services Task Force (ERSTF) — which includes the chairs, subgroup leaders and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) staff — received an award for his leadership and contributions to the ERSTF and for helping to educate industry leaders on the need for ancillary services and their provision from all resources.

Daryanian and Stenclik were recognized for their contributions to the Pan-Canadian wind integration study with CanWEA. The study outlined the opportunities and requirements for Canada to reach its renewable integration targets at a national level, along with views into the options in specific provinces.

Shi was recognized for his work with key government stakeholders in China as they undertook pioneering studies related to wind and solar integration that are helping China better plan for priority dispatching, wind forecasting and curtailment reduction. The findings from these studies have helped guide China’s recent power sector reform initiatives.

MacDowell was recognized for his ongoing contributions to the development of industry standards in the global renewables industry. MacDowell has spent the past several years contributing his expertise to numerous industry stakeholders including NERC, IEEE and IEC, among many others, to help ensure the proper grid codes and renewables equipment standards are in place to enable greater adoption of renewable energy into grid systems around the world.

“Energy industry leaders worldwide are working to find ways to establish more reliable and sustainable power generation and transmission opportunities. Integrating renewable generation assets such as utility-scale solar and wind installations can help prepare the utility and generation industries to meet growing demands for renewable energy and the associated challenges that accompany their integration,” said Beth LaRose, general manager, GE’s Energy Consulting group. “By studying what effect these renewable generation sources will have on today’s electrical grids and working with key stakeholders around the world to develop the appropriate standards and grid codes, we can help countries meet their renewable energy targets while helping bulk power systems operate reliably, efficiently and affordably.”

UVIG, first established in 1989 as the Utility Wind Integration Group, provides a forum for the critical analysis of wind and solar technology for utility applications. It also serves as a source of credible information on the status of wind and solar technology and deployment. The group’s mission is to accelerate the development and application of good engineering and operational practices supporting the appropriate integration and reliable operation of variable generation on the electric power system.

About GE

GE (NYSE: GE) is the world’s Digital Industrial Company, transforming industry with software-defined machines and solutions that are connected, responsive and predictive. GE is organized around a global exchange of knowledge, the "GE Store," through which each business shares and accesses the same technology, markets, structure and intellect. Each invention further fuels innovation and application across our industrial sectors. With people, services, technology and scale, GE delivers better outcomes for customers by speaking the language of industry. www.ge.com

About Energy Connections

GE Energy Connections designs and deploys industry-leading technologies that turn the world on. We transport, convert, automate and optimize energy to ensure we provide safe, efficient and reliable electrical power. Uniting all the resources and scale of the world’s first digital industrial company, we connect brilliant machines, grids, and systems to power utility, oil & gas, marine, mining and renewables customers, that keep our world running. www.GEEnergyConnections.com

About GE’s Energy Consulting Group

For nearly a century, GE’s Energy Consulting experts have focused on solving the electric power industry’s most pressing challenges—driving the evolution of electric power systems with greater affordability, reliability, and efficiency. Today, GE’s Energy Consulting team continues this tradition by providing innovative solutions across the entire spectrum of power generation, delivery and utilization. With our cross-company resources, GE’s Energy Consulting business is able to serve a diverse global client base with a strong local presence.

From GE:

GE Reaches Milestone with 50,000 MW of Global Wind Installations

April 26, 2016

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• 50,000 megawatts (MW) of installed capacity spread across more than 30,000 GE wind turbines in more than 35 different countries

• Recent acquisition of Alstom’s renewable energy unit expands GE’s wind footprint in Europe and Brazil

• Global GE wind installed base now provides enough energy to power the equivalent of approximately five cities the size of Hong Kong

Schenectady, NY – April 26, 2016 – GE Renewable Energy (NYSE: GE) today announced it now has more than 50,000 MW of onshore wind turbines installed across the globe. The company reached the milestone in the first quarter of 2016, largely thanks to its recent acquisition of Alstom’s renewable energy unit in November 2015. GE’s global wind footprint, which now extends to more than 35 countries worldwide, represents enough energy to power the equivalent of approximately five cities the size of Hong Kong.

“Renewable energy has become a mainstream source of power generation,” said Jérôme Pécresse, President & CEO of GE Renewable Energy. “The industry is poised for continued global growth, and at GE, we are excited to be reaching this milestone and look forward to adding our next 50 gigawatts even faster.”

The United States makes up the largest portion of GE’s global installed base, but in recent years, the company has seen strong global growth in regions like Europe, Asia and Latin America. Following the acquisition of Alstom’s renewable energy unit last year, GE expanded its European presence and added additional capacity in Brazil. GE Renewable Energy now has at least a gigawatt of power installed in countries including Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Spain and the United States.

“Over the last decade we have continued to invest in wind technology, and those investments have enabled us to drive steady growth while reducing production costs,” said Anne McEntee, President & CEO of GE’s onshore wind business. “We feel like we are just getting started. The investments we are making today in regions all over the world are setting us up to deliver strong global growth in the years ahead.”

Download our infographic for some fun facts about how much equivalent energy GE wind turbines are capable of providing.

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About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) is the world’s Digital Industrial Company, transforming industry with software-defined machines and solutions that are connected, responsive and predictive. GE is organized around a global exchange of knowledge, the "GE Store," through which each business shares and accesses the same technology, markets, structure and intellect. Each invention further fuels innovation and application across our industrial sectors. With people, services, technology and scale, GE delivers better outcomes for customers by speaking the language of industry. www.ge.com

Follow GE Renewable Energy on Twitter @GErenewables.

From GE:

GE Renewable Energy awarded €2m by EEA-Grants for hydropower projects in Norway and Turkey

April 26, 2016

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Paris – February 1, 2016 – GE Renewable Energy is pleased to announce that the Tepekisla (Turkey)and Iveland (Norway) hydroelectric projects are now running, thanks to the €2 millions awarded in 2013 by the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI) as operator of the EEA[1]-Grants program in financial support for the hydropower equipment research and development (R&D) activities. The €2 million grant was awarded to Alstom Renovables España which, since the acquisition of Alstom Power by GE in November 2015, goes to market today under the name GE Renewable Energy. The funding was allocated to the Tepekisla (Turkey) and Iveland (Norway) hydroelectric projects. GE Renewable handles the R&D and engineering for generators and turbines.

EEA-Grants aims to reduce economic and social disparities in the European Economic Area as well as to strengthen bilateral relations between the donor states (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) and the 16 Member States of the European Union eligible to this aid (includes Spain).

“We are grateful for the contribution of the EEA-Grants program that helped us to deliver two major European projects, Iveland and Tepekisla, and to develop R&D within the hydro field” said Yves Rannou, CEO of the GE Renewable Energy Hydro business.

The Tepekisla and Iveland projects required developing two completely different yet very innovative hydro turbine/generator prototypes. The Tepekisla project included two 35 MW Kaplan[2] units, a type of turbine specifically designed for low heads, and which are the most powerful ever built for this type of technology typically used in run-of-river applications. The plant generates approximately 240 GWh/year, equivalent to the energy required to meet the needs of a population of 50.000 household. The Francis[3]-driven Iveland project required innovative equipments specifically designed by the Hydro team in Spain such as hydrostatic guide bearing or rotor spider with oblique and asymmetrical arms. The project added 50 MW of additional generating capacity to the plant’s output, which generates 150 GWh/year, meeting the needs of 30.000 households.

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[1] European Economic Area.

[2] The Kaplan turbine generates power at low pressure heads.

[3] The Francis turbine converts energy at high pressure heads.

About GE

GE (NYSE: GE) is the world’s Digital Industrial Company, transforming industry with software-defined machines and solutions that are connected, responsive and predictive. GE is organized around a global exchange of knowledge, the "GE Store," through which each business shares and accesses the same technology, markets, structure and intellect. Each invention further fuels innovation and application across our industrial sectors. With people, services, technology and scale, GE delivers better outcomes for customers by speaking the language of industry. www.ge.com

Follow GE Renewable Energy on Twitter @GErenewables.

From NREL:

NREL’s Romero Chosen Top Young Professional in U.S.

Other laboratory professionals receive widespread acclaim

APRIL 29, 2016

Rachel Romero, a building systems engineer at the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), has been named a 2016 New Faces of Engineering recipient by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).

Romero, 29, who received the New Faces Award, joined NREL in May 2010 and is only the second person at the laboratory to be so honored. A building systems engineer, she has been working with the Department of Homeland Security to increase the federal agency's use of electricity from renewable sources. Romero earned her bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Hope College, and her master's degree in civil engineering from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Romero separately has been named recipient of the Young Engineer in ASHRAE (YEA) Award of Individual Excellence to recognize her contributions to the association. Romero is co-chair of YEA for the organization's Rocky Mountain chapter.

Work on PV Power Yields Recognition from International Group

Two scientists from NREL were honored by the Utility Variable-Generation Integration Group for their pioneering work in the field trials of ancillary services from PV power plants. NREL Principal Engineer Vahan Gevorgian and Grid Integration Manager Barbara O'Neill were presented with the UVIG Achievement Award during the organization's annual meeting in Sacramento in recognition for their leadership and contributions.

"It has been great to leverage the hard work of researchers here and in industry to put theoretical capabilities to the test out in the field." O'Neill said. "We discovered positive results in proving out the sophistication of plant controllers, as well as some unexpected glitches, primarily in the communications process. We feel that it would be greatly beneficial to showcase these and other advanced controller capabilities in an even larger field demonstration."

O'Neill and Gevorgian were recognized along with: Gregory Rivera Chico and Martin Perez Garcia, PREPA; Mahesh Morjaria and Vladimir Chadliev, First Solar; and Obed Santos, AES.

Lany's Peer Reviews Earn Him Outstanding Referee Honor

Stephan Lany, a theoretical/computational materials scientist at NREL, was honored by the American Physical Society (APS) with the designation of Outstanding Referee.

The nonprofit organization, which works to advance knowledge of physics through education and publications, this year singled out 146 people out of more than 69,000 referees to receive that designation. Lany is only the second person at NREL to be named an Outstanding Referee.

APS relies on scientists as anonymous peer reviewers - or referees - to assess manuscripts for publication in its Physical Review journals. Who was considered to be "outstanding" was determined based on the number, quality, and timeliness of their reports.

Lany, who earned his doctorate in physics from the Universität des Saarlandes in Germany, joined NREL in 2003 as a postdoctoral researcher and was named a staff scientist in 2006.

Bioenergy Center Scientists Ranked Among Best

A trio of NREL scientists - Tom Foust, Helena Chum and Phil Pienkos - made Biofuels Digest's annual ranking of the Top 100 People in the Advanced Bioeconomy. They shared the No. 61 position.

The online publication's editors and readers nominate and vote on the most influential leaders and pioneers in advancing the research, development, and distribution of biofuels.

"Being on this list demonstrates that we're recognized as a significant contributor in the field," said Foust, director of the National Bioenergy Center at NREL. "This demonstrates that NREL is not only furthering the bioeconomy, but that we're actually pushing the limits of the bioeconomy."

Chum is research fellow in the National Bioenergy Center, while Pienkos is principal group manager for BioProcess Research and Development. Foust joined NREL in 2004. Chum has been at NREL since 1979, when it was known as the Solar Energy Research Institute. Pienkos joined NREL in 2007.

Distinguished Yale Honor Goes To Nozik

Arthur Nozik, senior research fellow emeritus at NREL, will receive the Wilbur Lucius Cross Medal from the Yale University Graduate School Alumni Association in September. The association annually chooses a select few alumni to receive the award to recognize distinguished achievements in scholarship, teaching, academic administration, and public service.

The award was created in 1966 and named for Cross, who earned his doctorate in English literature from Yale in 1889 and taught at the university for 36 years. He also served two terms as governor of Connecticut.

Nozik earned his doctorate in physical chemistry from Yale in 1967. He joined what's now NREL in 1978.

NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for the Energy Department by The Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.

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