Tech Valley News
GE Makes Major Strides in Alternative Energy
As GE expands its “ecomagination” initiative to bring cleaner technology to the marketplace, much of the research in to energy-efficient products is being conducted at the GE Global Research headquarters located in the heart of Tech Valley.
GE has increased research spending, and expects to spend $1.1 billion this year. That figure likely will swell to $1.5 billion annually by 2010.
The company says its will sell $14 billion in ecomagination products this year with sales of environmentally friendly products growing by 12 percent annually.
“GE's ability to reach our ecomagination goals requires a deep commitment to investing in innovative, leading-edge research, while expanding our partnerships with customers, universities and labs,” said Lorraine Bolsinger, vice president of ecomagination.
Some of the projects being developed:
- An eco-dashboard control panel that could cut a home's electric bill
- More efficient wind turbines
- Hybrid locomotives
- Advanced solar technologies
- High-efficiency, mercury-free incandescent light bulbs
- Organic light-emitting diodes
“We want the bar set as high as it can be set,” Bolsinger said. “We believe our differentiated technology will win.”
GE launched its ecomagination initiative in May 2005 to, as CEO Jeff Immelt said, “aggressively bring to market new technologies that will help customers meet pressing environmental challenges.”
GE Global Research Center also announced it has received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy to accelerate two projects that will help bring plug-in hybrid vehicles to the marketplace.
One of the projects is a $5.6 million initiative to build smaller, higher-performing hybrid drivetrain motors. The other is a $1.2 million project to develop high-temperature, high-energy density capacitors.
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