PLAINVILLE, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 14, 2003--GE Industrial Systems, a $6 billion unit of the General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), is providing standardization of energy efficiency measurements for the 2003 Tour de Sol Great American Green Transportation Festival.
GE's kV meter is a required component of every battery-aided vehicle of tomorrow entered in the competition and is used to accurately measure electrical energy consumption in the Tour vehicles.
GE has been a proud sponsor of the Tour de Sol for six years, which runs this year May 10-14.
The Tour de Sol's focus is on innovation, and we've been able to match their imaginative vehicles with a meter that will capture the progress in energy savings technology, said Dan McAtee, general manager of GE Industrial Systems' Meter business. We are pleased that we could provide the precise measurement solution.
The GE kV Meter is one of the latest designs in GE's family of electricity meters. Introduced in 1996, the kV meter has become a leading choice of utilities because of its exceptional versatility.
The kV meter combines features and measurement capabilities traditionally only achieved with multiple metering devices.
During the five-day event, Tour officials regularly gather the energy efficiency readings of the cars, buses, and scooters, which sip gas or run on alternative fuels such as biodiesel, electricity, hydrogen, natural gas, or propane. Vehicle efficiency represents 20% of the total points that count toward the competition's championship trophy.
The GE kV Meter provides the accurate and reliable efficiency readings that are critical to Tour officials. We ran into difficulties with other meters we were testing -- the readings weren't always right on, said Nancy Hazard, director of the Tour de Sol.
Another big plus was that the GE device allowed us to take readings off the meters directly from individual vehicles. Our previous metering method did not allow us the overall confidence achieved with the GE kV Meter.
The kV meter delivers confidence and assurance to those relying on its measurements. Organizers of the event tested numerous systems before designating the GE kV electricity meter as the official Tour gauge, citing several features that gave GE's meter the edge. The digital format of the kV meter delivers pinpoint accuracy, necessary to differentiate between the relatively small amounts of energy consumption that set Tour competitors apart. Also, during testing, the GE kV Meter consistently demonstrated accurate readings.
Another 20% of each vehicle's score is dependent upon on the accuracy of the energy use data collected. This is categorized as the Green House Gas Emission score (GHG). The GHG emissions of each vehicle are also calculated using data from the GE kV Meter, combined with data supplied by Argonne National Laboratory.
About the Tour de Sol Transportation Festival
The annual Tour de Sol Transportation Festival is organized by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA), the nation's leading regional association involved in promoting awareness, understanding and development of non-polluting, renewable energy technologies.
The Tour de Sol began in 1989 as a competition for solar-powered racing vehicles. Over the years, it has expanded into the largest over-the-road event in the country for an ever-growing variety of greener vehicle technologies.
Approximately 40,000 people attend the Tour de Sol festivals each year.
The 2003 Tour de Sol Festival takes place in May 10-14, concurrent with National Transportation Week. Festivities begin in Burlington County and Trenton, New Jersey, proceeding to Philadelphia and concluding with an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.
The greener vehicles in the Tour de Sol are truly driven on innovation, springing from the minds of individuals, professional engineers, and high school and college students from across the country. For more information, visit the NESEA website at: http://www.nesea.org
About GE Industrial Systems
GE Industrial Systems spans the globe as an industry leader in integrated industrial, electrical and security equipment, systems and services. The business brings to customers the latest technologies that are used to distribute, protect and control energy and equipment, and to provide premise management.
GE provides innovative product and service solutions for commercial, industrial, residential and utility customers. For more information visit the website at: http://www.geindustrial.com
Editors: For more information and photography about GE Industrial Systems products that help provide peace of mind and protection for people, their properties and workplaces, please visit our online media center at: http://www.geindustrial.com/presscenter/
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CONTACT: GE Industrial Systems
Terry Dunn, 860/747-7397
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