Maxwell To Market Ultracaps for Wind Power Systems

2 July 2007

Maxwell Technologies Inc. has obtained a non-exclusive worldwide license from Enercon GmbH of Aurich, Germany, for a patent covering the use of ultracapacitors in wind energy systems, including use as backup power source for wind turbine blade pitch systems.

The license clears the way for Maxwell to market its BOOSTCAP 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. This agreement opens up a significant portion of the rapidly growing wind energy market that otherwise would not have been available to us.

—Dr. Richard Balanson, Maxwell President and CEO

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.