MAXWELL TECHNOLOGIES OBTAINS LICENSE TO PATENT COVERING USE OF ULTRACAPACITORS IN WIND TURBINE BLADE PITCH SYSTEMS

Dr. Richard Balanson, Maxwell's president and chief executive officer, said that the license clears the way for Maxwell to market its BOOSTCAPR ultracapacitor products to any wind turbine or blade pitch system manufacturer that wants to incorporate the technology into its products.

We have been in contact with a number of manufacturers that are interested in using ultracapacitors in their backup power systems, but have been waiting for this patent situation to be resolved, Balanson said. This agreement opens up a significant portion of the rapidly growing wind energy market that otherwise would not have been available to us.

Blade pitch systems enhance the consistency of wind turbines' energy output by trimming turbine blades to compensate for changes in wind velocity.
Backup power allows for an orderly shut down in the event of interruption of the primary power source. Ultracapacitors' long operational life and reliable performance in low temperature environments reduce maintenance and replacement costs associated with battery-based backup power systems.

Wind energy industry sources reported that approximately 15,000 megawatts of new wind energy generation capacity was installed worldwide in 2006, an increase of 25 percent from 2005. The industry has maintained an average growth rate of more than 17 percent for the past five years, and industry estimates project a similar growth rate and a total wind energy equipment market value of more than $180 billion for the next five years.

Maxwell is a leading developer and manufacturer of innovative, cost-effective energy storage and power delivery solutions. Our BOOSTCAPR ultracapacitor cells and multi-cell modules provide safe and reliable power solutions for applications in consumer and industrial electronics, transportation and telecommunications. Our CONDISR high-voltage grading and coupling capacitors help to ensure the safety and reliability of electric utility infrastructure and other applications involving transport, distribution and measurement of high-voltage electrical energy. Our radiation-mitigated microelectronic products include power modules, memory modules and single board computers that incorporate powerful commercial silicon for superior performance and high reliability in aerospace
applications