Capstone Turbine Corporation Announces Third Quarter Fiscal 2010 Operating Results

Third Quarter Revenue is Highest in Company History With a 1% Gross Loss; Backlog Increases $19 Million to $78 Million From Q2 FY 2010

CHATSWORTH, Calif., Feb. 9, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Capstone Turbine Corporation (www.capstoneturbine.com) (Nasdaq:CPST) reported operating results for its third quarter ended December 31, 2009 in its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 9, 2010.

Financial Summary

Revenue for the third quarter of Fiscal 2010 was $16.0 million, an increase of 39% from the third quarter of Fiscal 2009. Capstone shipped 122 units in the third quarter of Fiscal 2010, compared to 116 units in the same period last year. Average revenue per unit increased for the third quarter of Fiscal 2010 to $100,000 compared to $66,000 per unit for the third quarter of Fiscal 2009 because of the higher priced C200 and C1000 Series systems.

Capstone's backlog as of December 31, 2009 was $78.1 million, an increase of $21.1 million, or 37%, from December 31, 2008 and an increase of $18.8 million, or 32%, from September 30, 2009.

The reported gross loss for the third quarter of Fiscal 2010 was $0.2 million, or 1% of revenue, compared to $0.6 million, or 5% of revenue, for the third quarter of Fiscal 2009 and $3.0 million, or 19% of revenue, for the second quarter of Fiscal 2010. The improved gross loss reflects increased sales of C200 and C1000 Series systems, resulting in an overall higher margin from the change in product mix, progress on direct material cost reduction efforts and decreased manufacturing costs compared to the prior period.

Research and development (R&D) expenses were $2.0 million for the third quarter of Fiscal 2010, a decrease of $0.1 million, or 5%, from the third quarter of Fiscal 2009. R&D expenses are reported net of benefits from cost-sharing programs. There were approximately $0.1 million of such benefits this quarter and $2.0 million of such benefits for the same period last year. The overall decrease in R&D expenses was a result of lower overall spending.

Selling, general and administrative expenses remained unchanged at $7.4 million for the third quarter of Fiscal 2010 and Fiscal 2009. During the third quarter of Fiscal 2010, stock-based compensation expense to employees and consultants increased, while travel expenses, marketing expense and salary expense decreased, all as compared to the third quarter of Fiscal 2009.

Capstone's net loss was $7.2 million, or $0.04 per share, for the third quarter of Fiscal 2010, a decrease of $2.8 million from the $10.0 million loss, or $0.06 per share, reported for the third quarter of Fiscal 2009. The decrease in net loss was primarily the result of the adoption of Accounting Standards Codification 815 "Derivatives and Hedging" which affects the Company's accounting for warrants with certain anti-dilution provisions. The Company recorded a non-cash benefit of $2.3 million to change in fair value of warrant liability during the third quarter of Fiscal 2010. Capstone's net loss for the third quarter before considering the non-cash warrant liability benefit would have been $9.5 million (calculated by adding back the $2.3 million warrant liability benefit from the $7.2 million reported net loss), or $0.05 per share (calculated by adding a $0.01 per share benefit attributable to the warrant liability from $0.04 per share reported loss), compared to the $10.0 million, or $0.06 per share loss for the third quarter of Fiscal 2009 which did not include a warrant liability benefit. Capstone's loss from operations for the third quarter of Fiscal 2010 was $9.6 million, or 5% lower than the $10.1 million loss from operations for the third quarter of Fiscal 2009.

Cash and cash equivalents for the third quarter ended of Fiscal 2010 were $15.7 million, a decrease of $3.8 million from March 31, 2009.

Conference Call

The Company will host a conference call today, Tuesday, February 9, at 1:45 p.m. Pacific Time. Access to the live broadcast and a replay of the webcast will be available for 90 days through the Investor Relations page on the Company's website: www.capstoneturbine.com.

About Capstone Turbine

Capstone Turbine Corporation (www.capstoneturbine.com) (Nasdaq:CPST) 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 over 5,000 Capstone MicroTurbine(R) systems to customers worldwide. These award-winning systems have logged millions of 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 and ISO 14001:2004 certified company; Capstone is headquartered in the Los Angeles area with sales and/or service centers in the New York metro area, Mexico City, Nottingham, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo.

"Capstone Turbine Corporation" and "Capstone MicroTurbine" are registered trademarks of Capstone Turbine Corporation. All other trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

The Capstone Turbine Corporation logo is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=6212

       CAPSTONE TURBINE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARY
          CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
         (In thousands, except per share amounts)
                       (Unaudited)

                                    December
                                      31,     March 31,

                                      2009       2009
                                   ---------  ---------
               ASSETS
  Current Assets:
   Cash and cash equivalents         $15,683    $19,519
   Accounts receivable, net of
    allowance for doubtful
    accounts and sales returns
   of $611 at December 31, 2009
    and $644 at March 31, 2009        13,877     10,871
   Inventories                        21,134     24,379
   Prepaid expenses and other
    current assets                     1,789      1,515
                                   ---------  ---------

    Total current assets              52,483     56,284
                                   ---------  ---------
  Property, plant and equipment,
   net                                 8,403      9,432
  Non-current portion of
   inventories                         3,879      5,883
  Intangible asset, net                  374        411

  Other assets                           276        319
                                   ---------  ---------

    Total                            $65,415    $72,329
                                   =========  =========

   LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS'
               EQUITY

  Current Liabilities:
   Accounts payable and accrued
    expenses                         $12,575    $11,484
   Accrued salaries and wages          1,861      2,062
   Accrued warranty reserve            1,215      2,344
   Deferred revenue                      982      1,171
   Revolving credit facility           7,421      3,654
   Current portion of notes
    payable and capital lease
    obligations                          138         13
   Warrant liability                  26,448         --

   Other current liabilities              --        815
                                   ---------  ---------

    Total current liabilities         50,640     21,543
                                   ---------  ---------
  Long-term portion of
   notespayable and capital lease
   obligations                            84         28
  Other long-term liabilities            255        288
  Commitments and contingencies
   (Note 14)                              --         --
  Stockholders' Equity:
   Preferred stock, $.001 par
    value; 10,000,000 shares
    authorized; none issued               --         --
   Common stock, $.001 par value;
    415,000,000 shares
    authorized; 197,555,896
   shares issued and 196,660,271
    shares outstanding at
    December 31, 2009;
   174,888,521 shares issued and
    174,070,581 shares
    outstanding at
   March 31, 2009                        197        175
  Additional paid-in capital         676,526    666,357
  Accumulated deficit              (661,247)  (615,100)
  Treasury stock, at cost;
   895,625 shares at December 31,
   2009 and 817,940 shares
  at March 31, 2009                  (1,040)      (962)
                                   ---------  ---------

    Total stockholders' equity        14,436     50,470
                                   ---------  ---------

    Total                            $65,415    $72,329
                                   =========  =========
                  CAPSTONE TURBINE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARY
                CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
                     (In thousands, except per share data)
                                  (Unaudited)

                                  Three Months Ended   Nine Months Ended

                                     December 31,           December 31,
                                 --------------------  ----------------------

                                    2009       2008       2009        2008
                                 ---------  ---------  ----------  ----------
  Revenue                          $15,986    $11,482     $45,233     $32,127

  Cost of goods sold                16,204     12,083      51,286      34,550
                                 ---------  ---------  ----------  ----------
  Gross loss                         (218)      (601)     (6,053)     (2,423)
  Operating expenses:
   Research and development          1,965      2,048       4,997       6,049
   Selling, general and
    administrative                   7,433      7,441      20,496      21,699
                                 ---------  ---------  ----------  ----------

    Total operating expenses         9,398      9,489      25,493      27,748
                                 ---------  ---------  ----------  ----------
  Loss from operations             (9,616)   (10,090)    (31,546)    (30,171)
  Interest income                       --        135           8         490
  Interest expense                   (181)         --       (456)          --
  Change in fair value of
   warrant liability                 2,257         --    (22,498)          --
                                 ---------  ---------  ----------  ----------
  Loss before income taxes         (7,540)    (9,955)    (54,492)    (29,681)
  Provision (benefit) for
   income taxes                      (370)         80       (182)          82
                                 ---------  ---------  ----------  ----------

  Net loss                       $ (7,170)  $(10,035)  $ (54,310)  $ (29,763)
                                 =========  =========  ==========  ==========

  Net loss per common
   share--basic and diluted        $(0.04)    $(0.06)     $(0.29)     $(0.18)
                                 =========  =========  ==========  ==========

  Weighted average sharesused
   to calculate basic and
   diluted net loss
  per common share                 196,405    173,851     190,453     161,277
                                 =========  =========  ==========  ==========
CONTACT: Capstone Turbine Corp.
         Investor and investment media inquiries:
         818-407-3628
         ir@capstoneturbine.com