WIND POWER CONTINUES TO SET RECORDS

On May 16, 2017, the state of California set a new record—that day, it generated 42% of its electricity from wind and solar, and peaked at 72% that afternoon. In addition to this wind power record, wind farms by themselves accounted for 18% of the state’s needs. But renewable energy’s popularity doesn’t just extend to California. According to the Global Wind Energy Council, the total generating capacity of wind farms around the world is now greater than all of the world’s nuclear power plants combined.

So what’s driving this growth? One answer is innovation. The “levelized cost of electricity” (LCOE)—a key number that measures electricity’s costs—has fallen 58% over the past six years. Additionally, the use of  wind turbine management software—like GE’s Predix—has let operators run their wind farms more efficiently, lowering maintenance costs and saving money. In fact, GE estimates that by deploying its Digital Wind Farm solutions and wind turbine software, the wind industry could save as much as $10 billion a year. One thing’s for sure: with 30,000 GE wind turbines deployed across the globe and capable of generating more than 57 GW of electricity, wind energy isn’t going anywhere.

Learn more about GE’s wind power software and Digital Wind Farms by contacting us today.

Read the full story at https://www.ge.com/reports/wind-blows-innovation-dropping-costs-drive-renewables-growth/