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Sustainable Energy Successfully Tests Inverter with Leading Fuel Cell Developer

Sustainable Energy Successfully Tests Inverter with Leading Fuel Cell Developer

Published 03-18-02

Submitted by Sustainable Energy Technologies, Ltd.

Sustainable Energy Technologies Ltd. (CDNX: STG) ("Sustainable Energy", or the "Company") today announced that it has successfully demonstrated the key functional and performance characteristics of its 5kW power inverter in collaboration with a leading North American fuel cell developer. The tests, which were performed at the fuel cell developer's facilities, demonstrated and validated that Sustainable Energy is poised to offer innovative technology to the advanced power industry.

"Our technology performed exceedingly well during these tests." says Brent Harris, Director of Technology Development at Sustainable Energy, "The same hardware that demonstrated efficiencies exceeding 93% in Sandia National Laboratory's (www.Sandia.gov) standalone test, was combined with our new real-time, wave-shaping, grid interface controller to demonstrate the following capabilities:"

-- Synchronization with the grid. The patented Pulsed Step inverter demonstrated its ability to synchronize and connect to the grid. This was the first demonstration of this ability outside of the Company's labs. Throughout the test, the inverter was able to smoothly deliver AC current to the grid at very high power factor.

-- Backpower from the grid for fuel cell startup. All fuel cell systems require a warm up period before they can deliver power to the grid. Sustainable Energy's inverter demonstrated its ability to provide and control the required grid power to the system during this period. To the Company's knowledge, this capability has not been demonstrated by other inverters, which require a separate power supply for the warm up period.

-- Seamless transfer to deliver fuel cell power to the grid. Once the fuel cell is ready to produce power, it must be smoothly connected to the DC bus and operate at a minimum load. The test demonstrated the inverter's ability to maintain a steady but adjustable DC voltage prior to connection of the fuel cell to ensure a smooth transition to the standby condition.

-- Precise control of fuel cell output. Once the fuel cell is connected, it can be loaded or unloaded on command as required. The goal is to maintain a constant DC current from the fuel cell to ensure its most efficient operation. Sustainable Energy's inverter demonstrated its ability to maintain constant DC current through the entire power range of the test, seamlessly transitioning from delivering to drawing power from the grid when required.

-- Ripple limited to 120Hz component. Sustainable Energy's simple hardware design and adaptive, real-time control software applied little distortion to the DC bus. The current ripple was limited to the 120Hz component that is directly associated with delivering single-phase 60Hz AC power. Our inverter does not require an intermediate DC/DC conversion device, and so avoids the associated high frequency ripple that can be detrimental to fuel cell performance and reliability. This is an additional benefit beyond the obvious cost, efficiency, and reliability benefits that result from simpler inverter hardware.

"This is a very significant milestone for Sustainable Energy" said Michael Carten President and CEO of Sustainable Energy. "The results reflect almost 2 years of R&D focused on creating an efficient, reliable, and configurable inverter product for fuel cells and solar power. Our inverter simplifies the control and lowers the cost of grid interactive fuel cell systems by providing a single hardware device that is controlled by software to perform all of the functions required by fuel cell systems."

"It is also important to understand that the same product that we have successfully tested for fuel cells is easily configured through simple software changes to provide the grid interface for solar power systems, thus bringing our technology further down the road to becoming a true universal inverter." says Michael Carten. "Photovoltaics is a mature and commercial market that is growing at a compounded rate of ~35% worldwide annually and has an immediate and unmet need for high quality inverters at our power rating of 5 kW."

Michael Carten concludes, "Sustainable Energy is very close to completing and testing a commercial design of our inverter that will meet both European and North American electrical code and that can be manufactured at costs that will very competitive with current product offerings. We have achieved a great deal over the last three months and plan to carry that momentum through to commercial revenues."

Sustainable Energy Technologies Ltd., headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada is in the business of developing, commercializing and marketing advanced power electronics for alternative energy systems such as fuel cells, photovoltaics and small wind power systems. These products convert raw energy into useable power and integrate power flows to and from generation and storage devices. Advanced power electronics are the critical component for the interface between distributed generation systems and the utility grid.

Certain statements contained in this press release may be considered as forward-looking. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from estimated or implied results. The Canadian Venture Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the information contained herein.

Sustainable Energy Technologies, Ltd.

Sustainable Energy Technologies, Ltd.

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