UL approves Capstone microturbines for renewable energy, national grid hookup

March 24, 2006
Of specific interest to wastewater facilities, the two renewable energy microturbines are the first generators of any type to be UL-certified to a new category of biogas-fueled power systems. They were simultaneously UL-listed to the UL1741 national grid interconnect standard...

Capstone CEO John Tucker (above) beside CR65 renewable energy microturbine system. The new biogas-fueled unit, as well as its biogas-fueled 30-kW model, are first generators classified by UL to the UL2200 standards for Engine Generators Fueled by Biogas or Raw Natural Gas. They were also UL certified to the UL1741 standard, which is now being accepted as the US national utility grid interconnection standard. (Credit: Capstone Turbine Corp.)

CHATSWORTH, CA, March 21, 2006 -- Capstone Turbine, a leading manufacturer of microturbine energy systems, announced today that its 30- and 65-kilowatt renewable energy systems are the first generators to be classified by Underwriters Laboratories to the UL2200 standards for Stationary Engine Generators, under the new category of Engine Generators Fueled by Biogas or Raw Natural Gas.

These products are additionally Listed to UL1741, the standard for Inverters, Converters, Controllers and Interconnection System Equipment for Use With Distributed Energy Resources. UL1741, which references IEEE 1547 and IEEE 1547.1, is being accepted as the US national utility grid interconnection standard. In 2001, Capstone MicroTurbine® systems were the first non-photovoltaic generator to be listed to the UL1741 interconnection safety and operations standard.

"This certification, President Bush's new initiative for grid-interconnected renewable resources and our newly released CR65 biogas-fueled energy system will be yet another major step for us and for the nation's future of clean, renewable energy," said Capstone Turbine Corporation CEO John R. Tucker. "I believe this new certification will encourage operators of landfills, oilfields and wastewater treatment plants to reduce their flaring of these gases into the atmosphere. Instead, those operators can now burn these 'waste' gases in renewable energy generating Capstone MicroTurbines, the first flare-gas-fueled generators that currently meet these UL standards."

The new UL generator category underscores the importance of ensuring public and environmental safety in the use of biogas and raw natural gas renewable fuels that have non-methane content.

"Nearly 15% of the Capstone MicroTurbines sold and shipped worldwide are designated to use commonly flared landfill, sewage, livestock and upstream petroleum gases as a fuel to create renewable energy with extremely low pollutant emissions. In addition, about 25% of our current backlog are for these types of units, so we are seeing greatly increased market interest in our renewable-fueled models," said Tucker. "We've been a trailblazer in this field. This new UL category will complement our products' existing certifications, streamline site-specific grid interconnection issues and further assure regional regulators of our products' safety."

Capstone Turbine Corp. (www.microturbine.com) is the world's leading producer of low-emission microturbine systems, and was the first to market commercially viable microturbine energy products. Capstone Turbine has shipped more than 3,500 Capstone MicroTurbine systems to customers worldwide. These award-winning systems have logged more than 11 million documented runtime operating hours. Capstone Turbine is a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Combined Heat and Power Partnership, which is committed to improving the efficiency of the nation's energy infrastructure and reducing emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases. A UL-Certified ISO 9001:2000 certified company, Capstone Turbine is headquartered in the Los Angeles area with sales and/or service centers in New York, Mexico City, Milan, Shanghai and Tokyo.

Examples of a few current renewable energy projects using Capstone MicroTurbines, also see:
-- "Antioch, IL, sends landfill gas to school: Superfund landfill gas-to-energy fuels 12 microturbines to produce 350 killowatts"
-- "LA's Calabasas Landfill Microturbine Power Generation Project: Lessons learned after one year of operation"
-- "Sauk County, Wis., landfill's methane gas generates electricity: Capstone MicroTurbines installation"
-- " Wastewater treatment plants: Capstone MicroTurbine installationsAlbert Lea, Minn."
-- "Return of Experience for the First Microturbine Running on Landfill Gas in Europe"

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