Capstone Turbine Corporation Sells C800 to METRO Cash & Carry Germany, Leader in German Self-Service Wholesale

CHATSWORTH, Calif., Nov. 1, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Capstone Turbine Corporation (www.capstoneturbine.com) (Nasdaq:CPST), the world's leading clean-technology manufacturer of microturbine energy systems, recently sold a C800 Power Package to METRO Cash & Carry Germany, a leader in German self-service wholesale.

The natural gas Capstone C800, installed at a busy 25,000-square-meter METRO Cash & Carry wholesale store in Schwelm, Germany, is a combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) application. In addition to electricity produced by the low-emission C800, the highly efficient CCHP application will feed waste heat energy from the turbine to two absorption chillers once the system is commissioned this fall. The absorption chillers will use the energy to produce air conditioning and cooling for the building, resulting in lower energy costs since the need for utility power is greatly reduced.

Capstone distributor E-Quad Power Systems GmbH, headquartered in Herzogenrath, Germany, sold the C800 to METRO Cash & Carry Germany. METRO has an active sustainability initiative with a goal to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 15 percent from 2006 to 2015.

It is estimated that the Capstone CCHP installation at the Schwelm store will reduce carbon dioxide emissions 570 tons each year. The CCHP system's high energy efficiencies are expected to be the equivalent of removing 700 cars from the road or planting 730 acres of forest. Energy costs are expected to drop more than 15 percent.

"The low-emission C800 is ideal for large retail facilities that require clean, efficient and reliable energy because the system produces supplemental electricity onsite, which results in a significant cut in emissions and energy costs," said Jim Crouse, Capstone's Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing. "The innovative combined cooling, heating and power system in Schwelm will set an example for other retailers across the continent."

The CCHP system features a common lithium bromide absorption chiller that produces cold water (+5°C and 570kW) and a new separate water-ammonia absorption chiller for deep cooling (-8°C and 840kW) to cool and freeze food at the market. Exhaust heat from the turbine will be captured to produce hot water in an air/water heat exchanger to power the absorption chiller and supply heat to the building.

METRO Cash & Carry is a leading international self-service wholesale retailer with stores in 31 countries and it is METRO Group's largest sales division.

"The first C800 power package in Germany is reliable, and its flexibility allows the facility to produce exactly the amount of thermal power it needs," said Marcus Mehlkopf, CEO of E-Quad Power Systems. "We're proud to be the first Capstone distributor in Europe who has matched combined heat and power microturbines with absorption chillers for cooling and freezing in this new energy-optimizing way."

About Capstone Turbine Corporation

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 9001:2008 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 and Singapore.

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

This press release contains "forward-looking statements," as that term is used in the federal securities laws, about the fuel efficiency, reliability and environmental advantages of our products and the use of our products in CCHP applications. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as "expects," "objective," "intend," "targeted," "plan" and similar phrases. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties described in Capstone's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission that may cause Capstone's actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied in such statements. Capstone cautions readers not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. Capstone undertakes no obligation, and specifically disclaims any obligation, to release any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

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

CONTACT:  Capstone Turbine Corporation 
          Investor and investment media inquiries: 
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          ir@capstoneturbine.com

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Released November 1, 2010