Sustainable Energy Announces Breakthrough in Power Control Technologies

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwire - March 2, 2011) -

Highlights:

• Increased efficiencies to more than 97% - among the highest in the industry;
• Advanced transformer topology maintain drive to lowest cost/watt in its power range;
• Product platform for lowest cost "parallel" system in residential market;
• Multiple patents pending with US Patent Office;
• Research foundations being laid for utility smart-grid products of the future;
• Collaborative research with University of Alberta funded by Alberta Advanced Education and Technology.

Sustainable Energy Technologies Ltd (TSX VENTURE:STG) ("Sustainable Energy" or the "Company") Canada's solar inverter company, announced today that it has validated core power control concepts enabling significant advances in the transformer topology for its SUNERGY(TM) inverter line. The achievements are the results of more than a year of collaborative research with the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Alberta who received funding by Alberta Advanced Education and Technology.

The concepts have been validated in production scale prototypes at the Company's labs in Calgary and development of the first commercial product platform incorporating the new topology and controls is underway with a targeted delivery during this year. 

"We are very excited about the outcomes," said Brent Harris Chief Technology Officer and a co-inventor of the Company's patented technologies. "Not only has the research contributed to achieving our near term commercial goals – namely lower cost and higher efficiencies – we have collaboratively achieved what we believe to be several scientific breakthroughs in transformer design which will open the way to a range of new product opportunities." 

The control concepts, which are owned exclusively by the Company, are the subject of several ongoing patent filings with the US Patent Office. 

The new controls will increase peak efficiencies above 97% which is among the highest in the industry. More importantly, the transformer topology will lead to material reductions in manufactured cost across a range of power ratings maintaining Sustainable Energy's drive to deliver the lowest cost per watt in its power class in the industry. 

The new transformer topology also enables a lighter weight, smaller platform in lower power ratings suitable for residential markets later this year. SUNERGY is the only product in the market today which enables the superior performance and safety of the low voltage parallel system architecture with an installed cost per watt, serviceability and reliability that is comparable to conventional inverters.

The collaborative research program with the University of Alberta is ongoing with funding from Alberta Advanced Education and Innovation. A key goal of the University research program is to create a product platform which will be the foundation for the advanced control requirements currently being developed as part of smart grid planning at utilities worldwide.

About Sustainable Energy:

Sustainable Energy (www.sustainableenergy.com) is Canada's solar inverter company. The Company's patented inverter technologies are a breakthrough in power inverter design and capabilities for all forms of distributed generation and smart grid applications. 

The SUNERGY(TM) inverter is the industry's only grid-interactive solar inverter which enables a "parallel" solar PV system architecture in higher power ratings at a cost and serviceability factor that is comparable to conventional inverters in the market. The benefits of parallel solar are: (i) 5% - 25% higher total system power output; (ii) a better fill factor enabling better coverage of available space; (iii) simplified system design and installation; and (iv) the safety of extra low operating voltages which ensures the safety of building maintenance personnel, first responders, and tradesmen who may accidentally come into contact with system wiring.

Sustainable Energy's technologies are the subject of multiple patents issued by and pending with the Canadian and US Patent Offices.

Forward Looking Information

The reader is advised that some of the information herein may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning assigned by National Instruments 51-102 and other relevant securities legislation. In particular, we include: statements concerning the impact of our technology on solar PV system performance. Forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and involves a number of risks and uncertainties. In particular there is no assurance that performance of the systems will be as estimated or that market demand in Ontario will materialize.

Many factors could cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements, or future events or developments, to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information, which speaks only as of the date hereof. Readers are also directed to the Risk Factors section of the Company's current Annual Information Form which may be found on its website or at www.sedar.com The Company does not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking information contained herein to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.