GE installs solar panels at Corporate Headquarters

In June, the GE solar panels recently installed on the roofs of the East and West buildings at Corporate Headquarters in Fairfield, Connecticut began producing green power - emission- and fossil-fuel-free energy.

GE received a $722,000 grant from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF) to defray a portion of the total cost of installing the 149.9-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system. GE is among many businesses and public and educational institutions in Connecticut that have received grants to incorporate clean energy into their operations. In 2000, the Connecticut Legislature formed CCEF, which is administered by Connecticut Innovations, Inc. Each month, Connecticut electric utility customers invest a few extra cents in an energy future that is less dependent on foreign oil and based on clean and renewable energy. Connecticut, along with New Jersey and California, are the only states with such programs.

This Fairfield project is a first step in an initiative to apply solar photovoltaic technology on GE buildings worldwide. The first wave will include 30 GE locations. "This installation was first and foremost part of the chairman's initiative to install these systems on GE's rooftops," says Todd Nass, Corporate Properties & Services Operation Project Manager.

A short video about the project features Nass and Mark Stoler, GE's Global Director of Environment, Health & Safety Programs, and shows the solar panel installation in progress.

Click here to watch the video.