CPST news - CHATSWORTH, Calif., Oct 28, 2003 (BUSINESS WIRE) --Following adebut earlier this year, leading microturbine energy systemsmanufacturer Capstone Turbine (www.microturbine.com)(Nasdaq: CPST)announced that the first two installed units of its new integratedcombined heat and power product -- the C60-ICHP -- began operationlast Friday at a Southern California hotel.
Combined heat and power (CHP) or "cogeneration" systems use bothenergy outputs of a microturbine -- electricity and heat -- to addressboth the power and thermal needs of a building or process in a highlyfuel efficient manner. Most commonly, the microturbine exhaust is usedto heat water that is used for building heating, boiler preheating,industrial process heating, and other thermal uses. The powergenerated onsite by each 60-kilowatt unit supplements the facility'selectric needs.
The first two C60-ICHP units to go online -- at the 185-roomRadisson Hotel in Santa Maria, California (www.radissonsantamaria.com)-- serve the hotel's water heating needs and a portion of thefacility's power needs. David Moard, President of PowerHouse Energy(www.powerhouseenergy.ws), which began operating the systems at thehotel, said, "We also have plans to install seven ICHPs at campuses inthe San Jose (California) school district over the next two to threemonths."
Based on the company's C60 microturbine power system, Capstone'sC60-ICHP system was debuted to distributors earlier this year andfirst publicly displayed at the West Coast Energy Management Congresstrade show in San Diego last month. Previous CHP applications ofCapstone MicroTurbines involved ducting hot exhaust gas from themicroturbine power system into a separate third-party heat exchanger.
"This new all-in-one system integrates a highly efficient, compactheat exchanger atop the C60 power system," said Capstone CEO JohnTucker. "The C60-ICHP offers our customers the ability to procure apre-engineered CHP solution from Capstone. In comparison to ourprevious two-unit CHP offerings, this all-in-one product uses lessspace and delivers lower installed cost, higher fuel efficiency,greater operational flexibility, lower greenhouse gas emissions andeven better economic benefits to end-users."
Another three C60-ICHP systems have been installed at the 211-roomAtrium Hotel (www.atriumhotel.com) in Irvine near the Orange CountyJohn Wayne Airport. In an expected feature article in the premiereissue of Distributed Energy (www.forester.net/de.html), a new trademagazine set to debut next month, Atrium Hotel General Manager SheriBlackwood comments on the anticipated economics of their C60-ICHParray: "Right away we started shooting the numbers to see what type ofinvestment it would take, and what the ROI would turn out to be... itmade such perfect sense."
Blackwood said that two previous onsite generator projects she'sseen elsewhere required up to two years to plan, explore and carrythrough. But the Atrium's C60-ICHP project took just four months. "Wewere able to get all the information we needed, with confidence. Wewere able to put down the deposit and sign the contract -- and to say,'let's move forward.'"
About Capstone Turbine
Capstone Turbine Corporation (www.microturbine.com)(Nasdaq: CPST)is the world's leading producer of low-emission microturbine systems.In 1998, Capstone was the first to offer commercial energy productsutilizing microturbine technology, the result of more than ten yearsof focused research. Capstone Turbine has sold and shipped more than2,500 Capstone MicroTurbine systems to customers worldwide. Theseaward-winning systems have logged more than 4 million hours ofdocumented operation.
"Capstone Turbine Corp." is a registered trademark of CapstoneTurbine Corporation.
Note to Editors: A C60-ICHP product datasheet is available viae-mail by completing a brief online form at:www.microturbine.com/technology/specsheets.asp |
