GE Energy has introduced the WindBOOST control system upgrade, which is designed to increase the output of its 1.5 SLE wind turbine.
The upgrade enables turbine blades to spin faster, potentially increasing turbine output by 100 kW (from 1.5 MW to 1.6 MW). Depending on the wind and other site conditions, the new feature has the potential to increase annual revenues up to $15,000 per unit, the company says.
GE Energy notes that it has worked closely with Chicago-based Invenergy, which is presently operating more than 900 1.5 SLE wind turbines, to evaluate the results of 20 WindBOOST beta test units installed at one of Invenergy's wind farms in Texas.
‘We are presently in discussions with GE to deploy WindBOOST across the Invenergy U.S. fleet,’ says Pat West, senior vice president of operations for Invenergy.
For more information, visit ge.com.
SOURCE: GE Energy
