GE Energy Connections: Powering the Stories of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games

ATLANTA, GA--(Marketwired - Aug 3, 2016) - When the Olympic cauldron at Maracana Stadium is ignited signaling the opening of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil, GE Energy Connections (NYSE: GE) will be there helping to deliver the electric power to broadcast that moment to almost a billion people¹ around the world.

GE is supplying the entire electrical distribution and power protection system for the 85,000-square-meter Olympic International Broadcast Center (IBC) that serves as the media broadcast hub for more than 10,000 journalists covering the Games. The entire electrical system will provide and manage all the power for the IBC, which is projected to consume approximately 50 megawatts of power, or about 20 percent of all the electricity used during the Games.

"The IBC is the heart of the Olympic Games when it comes to broadcasting," said Sotiris Salamouris, chief technology officer, Olympic Broadcasting Services. "There are more than 200 broadcasting stations delivering the Olympic Games to the world audience, and more than 140 of them will have their physical operations located in the IBC."

To help ensure the 5,000 hours of broadcast coverage reaches an estimated 1.5 billion people² across the globe, GE Energy Connections is deploying a power protection and monitoring network to keep power to the IBC up and running 24/7. The company is harnessing a network of three-phase TLE and SG Series uninterruptible power supply (UPS) units that provide backup power during outages and help to ensure reliable, consistent power to recording, editing and broadcast equipment. These UPS units will also be monitored -- almost as closely as some of the sporting events -- by a team of 35 GE power professionals staffing a power monitoring center for performance and to track power incidents that might trigger preemptive service.

In addition, GE is providing its PACSystems* Rx3i-based, flexible, high-availability solution to support electrical power distribution at the IBC. The solution also helps minimize unplanned downtime.

"With 206 countries represented³, the Rio 2016 Olympic Games will bring together all the citizens of the world to celebrate the human spirit of excellence," said Alfredo Mello, GE's commercial leader to the Olympic Games. "Everyone at GE is proud to help ensure that the stories of these Olympic Games are shared globally."

About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) is the world's Digital Industrial Company, transforming industry with software-defined machines and solutions that are connected, responsive and predictive. GE is organized around a global exchange of knowledge, the "GE Store," through which each business shares and accesses the same technology, markets, structure and intellect. Each invention further fuels innovation and application across our industrial sectors. With people, services, technology and scale, GE delivers better outcomes for customers by speaking the language of industry. www.ge.com

About GE Energy Connections
GE Energy Connections designs and deploys industry-leading technologies that turn the world on. We transport, convert, automate and optimize energy to ensure we provide safe, efficient and reliable electrical power. Uniting all the resources and scale of the world's first digital industrial company, we connect brilliant machines, grids, and systems to power utility, oil & gas, marine, mining and renewables customers, that keep our world running. www.GEEnergyConnections.com

* Indicates a trademark of the General Electric Company and may be registered in your region.

¹ Number of international views tuning into the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games- http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-oly-ratings-day-idUKBRE8760V820120807

² An estimated 900,000 people may watch the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games (See Ref #1 above), while a total of 1.5 billion are expected to watch or listen to some of the coverage during the course of the Games.

³ Number of countries represented at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Summer_Olympics