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ECD Ovonics Subsidiary Ovonic Fuel Cell Company Awarded Grant By Michigan Public Service Commission

Posted on: Wednesday, 24 August 2005, 15:00 CDT

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich., Aug. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Energy Conversion Devices, Inc., (ECD Ovonics) , announced today that Ovonic Fuel Cell Company LLC, its wholly owned subsidiary, has been awarded a $400,000 grant by Michigan Public Service Commission. This Michigan Energy Efficiency Grant will support a nine-month program for the development of a prototype fuel cell system for uninterruptible power supply (UPS) and emergency power applications.

In a fundamentally new approach, the Ovonic Metal Hydride Fuel Cell technology includes a unique and inherent ability to store electrical energy in the fuel cell stack. This intrinsic energy storage provides for several key performance features ideal for UPS/emergency power applications, including instant-start capability on the order of microseconds and excellent low- temperature performance. The Ovonic fuel cell technology provides a low-cost approach based on Ovonic metal hydride materials and does not utilize expensive noble metals traditionally used as fuel cell catalysts.

In today's world, with concerns about power interruptions from extreme weather, acts of terrorism, and failures of our aging electrical grid, there is a growing need for power backup for extended run time emergency situations. The Ovonic fuel cell technology is especially well suited for this growth opportunity in the multibillion dollar UPS/emergency power market. This program will enable Ovonic Fuel Cell Company to provide prototype fuel cell products to a variety of interested customers.

About Ovonic Fuel Cell Company LLC

Ovonic Fuel Cell Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. Its mission is to commercialize the proprietary and patented Ovonic metal hydride fuel cell technology, a fundamentally new approach to fuel cells invented by Stanford R. Ovshinsky, co-founder, president and chief technology officer of ECD Ovonics. More information about Ovonic Fuel Cell Company is available at http://www.ovonicfuelcell.com/ .

About ECD Ovonics

ECD Ovonics is the leader in the synthesis of new materials and the development of advanced production technology and innovative products. It has invented, pioneered and developed its proprietary enabling technologies in the fields of energy and information leading to new products and production processes based on amorphous, disordered and related materials. ECD Ovonics designs and builds manufacturing machinery that incorporates its proprietary production processes, maintains ongoing research and development programs to continually improve its products and develops new applications for its technologies. More information on ECD Ovonics is available at http://www.ovonic.com/ .

This release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are based on assumptions which ECD Ovonics, as of the date of this release, believes to be reasonable and appropriate. ECD Ovonics cautions, however, that the actual facts and conditions that may exist in the future could vary materially from the assumed facts and conditions upon which such forward-looking statements are based.

Energy Conversion Devices, Inc.

CONTACT: Kevin Fok, Manager of Marketing of Ovonic Fuel Cell CompanyLLC, +1-248-293-7038, kfok@ovonic.com , or Media Contact: Dick Thompson ofEnergy Conversion Devices, Inc., +1-248-299-6053, rthompson@ovonic.com

Web site: http://www.ovonic.com/http://www.ovonicfuelcell.com/

Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall

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