Recognized as a leader in its field, GE’s Energy Consulting business has been awarded the 2017 R.J. Templin Award from the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) for its work on the Pan-Canadian Wind Integration Study (PCWIS). CanWEA — Canada’s leading source of information on wind energy’s social, economic, health and environmental benefits for Canadian communities and provincial economies — presented the award to GE at the annual CanWEA Awards Dinner in Gatineau, Quebec.
The R.J. Templin Award, first awarded in 1985, recognizes an individual or organization that has undertaken scientific, technical, engineering or policy research and development work that has produced results that have served to significantly advance the wind energy industry in Canada.
“Anyone who has had a chance to take a close look at the Pan-Canadian Wind Integration Study knows, first, what a monumental undertaking it was, and second, how important its findings are to the continued growth of wind energy in Canada,” said Robert Hornung, CanWEA President. “GE Energy Consulting was a critical part of its success, leading a team of expert, specialized firms to produce a comprehensive analysis that will be a valuable source of data and information for our industry for years to come.”
The study considered four scenarios in which wind energy supplied between 5 and 35% of the forecast system load. Based on the scenarios, GE determined that more than one-third of Canada’s electricity could be generated from wind energy without compromising grid reliability. It also would be able to reduce emissions and generate new export opportunities if it were to integrate more wind power into its energy mix.
“Canada is equipped with vast, high-quality wind resources from coast to coast, yet, only about 5 percent of the country’s energy mix comes from wind generation,” said Bahman Daryanian, technical director, GE’s Energy Consulting business. “The PCWIS helps pave the way for Canadian utilities to make the most of their wind resources for future power generation by outlining scenarios at various levels of renewable penetrations. This insight will help ensure that future integration of wind generation into the power mix is optimized for efficiency and reliability. This prestigious recognition from CanWEA demonstrates how valuable this information will be as Canada looks to modernize its electrical grid in the years to come.”
The full PCWIS study, conducted by GE’s Energy Consulting business, was released July 6, 2016, by CanWEA. GE team members, Bahman Daryanian and Gene Hinkle were on-site to receive the award from CanWEA.
GE’s project partners included Electranix, EnerNex, Knight Piésold, and Vaisala, who made valuable contributions to the study. For more from GE’s Energy Consulting group: www.geenergyconsulting.com.
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