GE (NYSE: GE) announced that it has recently secured more than 1,200 megawatts (MW) of commitments for its 1.6-100 wind turbine, the world’s leader in efficiency. The 750 additional turbines bring the total number of orders and commitments to $2.7 billion and more than 2 gigawatts to date. In the past month alone developers have selected the turbine for 10 new projects. In total, 1,248 of the 1.6-100 wind turbine technologywill be put into wind farms in North and South America over the next two years.
Launched in May, GE’s 1.6-100 wind turbine is designed for increased performance and is the world’s most efficient wind turbine in its class. With blades and towers that extend 100 meters—equivalent to 33 stories—the 1.6-100 captures additional wind energy, a fuel that is free and domestic.
“The strong industry acceptance of our 1.6-100 wind turbine underscores the continuing confidence of our customers in our technology,” said Victor Abate, vice president—renewable energy for GE Power & Water. “We set out to change the industry, proving that with technology advancements we could significantly improve the economics of wind. Our 1.6-100 has allowed our customers to develop wind farms in lower wind speed sites that were previously not viable.”
The 1.6-100 wind turbine offers a 47 percent increase in swept area over previous megawatt-class models, resulting in a 19 percent increase in annual energy production at 7.5 meters per second wind speed. This allows the turbine to deliver IEC Type Class II (moderate wind speed) performance while operating in a Type Class III (low-wind) environment.
GE’s wind turbine technology is qualified under ecomagination, the company’s commitment to address challenges such as the need for cleaner, more efficient sources of energy, reduced emissions and abundant sources of clean water. GE’s current product portfolio includes wind turbines with rated capacities ranging from 1.5 to 4.1 MW and support services ranging from remote monitoring and fault resolution to complete operations and maintenance support.