The factory will occupy an existing building in Aurora, just east of Denver. This location, which is in proximity to GE’s existing solar center of excellence, enables an accelerated start-up schedule with production equipment installation beginning in January 2012. At capacity, the new factory will produce enough panels per year to power 80,000 homes and will be larger than 11 football fields. When the Aurora factory is ready, GE will have invested $600 million in its solar energy business.
“Working with our Colorado-based solar team, we were able to achieve record efficiencies in our solar panels in record time,†said Victor Abate, vice president of GE’s Renewable Energy business. “The Colorado location will allow us to deliver our technology roadmap faster and commercialize industry-leading panel efficiencies sooner. We also look forward to continuing to build our relationships with Colorado’s local, state and federal officials who have been extremely helpful as we moved through the site selection process.â€
Solar panels produced in GE’s new Colorado factory will be more efficient, lighter weight and larger than conventional thin film panels. Lighter panels will facilitate easier installation and enable applications including commercial rooftop. Larger-sized panels help to lower total system cost by reducing the amount of racking and electrical components required.
GE has dramatically grown its wind business through technology and scale since entering this market in 2002. The company, which has more than 27 GW of wind and solar resources installed around the world, anticipates a similar trajectory for solar given recent technology breakthroughs.
In addition to thin film solar panels, GE offers power electronics and pre-designed utility-scale solar power plants for use in multi-megawatt applications. Power electronics are critical to bringing renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, into the mainstream, delivering economies of scale and providing stable connection to the grid. GE recently broadened its portfolio with the acquisition of Converteam, an energy conversion technology.
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So happy to hear GE is doing this. We need strong companies to take the lead in this field. Some of your readers may be interested in some energy conservation tips as follows….Energy Conservation
I agree with Joy, I’m so glad a large energy company has finally taken a step forward on the path to integrating solar energy into a use for an American city.