As part of the US government's efforts in renewable energy research, a 1.5 MW GE wind turbine has been installed at the National Wind Technology Center (NWTC) in Boulder, Colorado. Recently, a Siemens turbine has also been installed at NWTC for testing purposes.

The GE 1.5 MW unit will serve as a platform for research aimed at improving the performance of wind turbine technology and reducing the cost of wind energy. Testing will be performed over the course of the next several years, producing data which will be used by researchers who will be working with the wind industry to increase turbines performance and reliability.

Key research ares will include power performance testing, turbine load data, advanced turbine controls, advanced turbine components and wind farm performance data. The 1.5 MW GE unit is the "workhorse" of the company's wind turbine product portfolio, and is the most widely deployed unit in the world, with more than 12,000 units installed. All excess power generated by the turbines will be fed back into the power grid.

[source: press release]