GE & Juhl Build 1st US Solar-Wind Hybrid Project

• Juhl Energy has selected GE Renewable Energy to provide one 2.0-116 wind turbine for a commercial integrated solar-wind hybrid power generation project in Minnesota
• It will be supported by a 0.5 MW PV system with GE providing its Wind Integrated Solar Energy (WiSE) technology platform to directly integrate solar panels through the wind turbine's converter to allow both technologies to share the same balance of the plant
• Such a system will see system net capacity go up by 3% to 4% and increase annual energy production by up to 10%
• Bank of America will purchase RECs from the project when it becomes operational before the end of 2018

GE Renewable Energy and Minnesota headquartered renewable energy company Juhl Energy will together build what they call the 'first commercial integrated solar-wind hybrid power generation project in the US'. The 2 MW community based renewable energy project will use one 2.0-116 wind turbine from GE and a 0.5 MW PV system.

Juhl Energy is developing the project for Lake Region Electric Cooperative of Pelican Rapids in Minnesota. GE's Global Research Center is providing its Wind Integrated Solar Energy (WiSE) technology platform to directly integrate solar panels through the wind turbine's converter to allow both technologies to share the same balance of the plant. They claim it increases system net capacity by 3% to 4% as well as ups annual energy production by up to 10%.

The roles both these technologies play is cut out, with solar essentially providing summer peak energy and wind providing winter peak energy. Funded by the Bank of America that will purchase Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) from the project, it will be owned by a subsidiary of Juhl Energy. Faith Technologies, Inc. will construct the project and collaborate with Juhl Energy on building additional hybrid projects.

About the 'unique' project scheduled to become operational before the end of 2018, Juhl Energy's Dan Juhl said, "Distributed generation will play a major role in the implementation of renewable energy in the US electrical market in the years to come. Projects such as this one, with Juhl Energy's package design and GE hybrid technology, will economically blend clean, renewable energy into the electric grid at a lower cost, plus add reliability to the system."