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Ceremony Being Held October 12, 2006 from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Eastern NEW YORK, Oct. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Northern Power, a subsidiary of Distributed Energy Systems Corp. (NASDAQ:DESC), the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), and Equity Office, the nation's largest publicly held owner of office buildings, announce the completion of a new $4.1 million, 1.6-megawatt combined heat and power (CHP) system at 717 Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. The system, which is the first of its kind to be synchronously interconnected to the critical Midtown network grid of Consolidated Edison Company of New York (Con Edison) handles 60% of the 450,000-square-foot building's electric usage, and 65% of its cooling and heating needs. A recognition event is being held in the lobby of 717 Fifth Avenue on October 12, 2006 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Eastern, and will feature a tour of the system. The system, which was designed and built by Northern Power on a turnkey basis, operates in parallel with the utility's grid during peak and mid-peak hours, and provides nearly two-thirds of the building's peak summer demand. The project was supported by a $745,000 grant from NYSERDA. Although its primary function is to increase the building's energy efficiency, the system can also be configured to provide backup power to keep the building operational during an extended power outage, such as the one experienced by office workers during the August 2003 blackout. "We believe that the 717 Fifth Avenue project will serve as an outstanding example to similar facilities that a successful interconnection of on-site generating assets with the local network grid is possible and that such projects will have a positive impact on relieving some of the load currently straining the grid," said Peter R. Smith, President of NYSERDA. "In addition, such projects hold the promise of benefiting the environment through dramatically improved energy efficiency." Equity Office, Northern Power, and NYSERDA consider this to be a flagship project demonstrating the ability of large office buildings to attain both interdependence with and independence from utility grids, even in the heart of major metropolitan areas like New York City. "Several years ago Equity Office launched a dedicated, comprehensive, and aggressive energy program to reduce overall energy consumption and to increase energy efficiency at buildings throughout our portfolio," said Paul Saccone, vice president of Equity Office's corporate engineering and energy investment group. "EOP's Total Energy Initiative focuses on energy monitoring, energy investment, procurement, conservation, and education and training. About NYSERDA The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is a public benefit corporation created in 1975 by the New York State Legislature. NYSERDA administers the New York Energy $mart(SM) program, which is designed to support certain public benefit programs during the transition to a more competitive electricity market. Some 2,700 projects in 40 programs are funded by a charge on the electricity transmitted and distributed by the State's investor-owned utilities. The New York Energy $mart(SM) program provides energy efficiency services, including those directed at the low- income sector, research and development, and environmental protection activities. About Northern Power Northern Power designs, builds and installs reliable power solutions for commercial, industrial, government, and military customers. The company also conducts research and development in the areas of renewable energy, distributed generation and hydrogen technology. Since its founding in 1974, Northern has installed over 800 systems in 45 countries on all seven continents. Northern Power Systems, Inc. is headquartered in Waitsfield, Vermont and employs 100 people with engineering, fulfillment, and customer- support capabilities. The company is a wholly owned operating subsidiary of Distributed Energy Systems Corp. For more information, visit http://www.northernpower.com/. About Equity Office Equity Office Properties Trust (NYSE:EOP), operating through its various subsidiaries and affiliates, is the nation's largest publicly held office building owner and manager with a total office portfolio consisting of whole or partial interests in 586 buildings comprising 109.6 million square feet in 16 states and the District of Columbia. Equity Office has an ownership presence in 24 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) and in 101 submarkets, enabling it to provide a wide range of office solutions for local, regional and national customers. For more company information, visit the Equity Office website at http://www.equityoffice.com/. About Distributed Energy Systems Corp. Distributed Energy Systems Corp. (NASDAQ:DESC) creates and delivers products and solutions to the emerging decentralized energy marketplace, giving users greater control over their energy cost, quality, and reliability. As the parent company of Proton Energy Systems, Inc. (http://www.protonenergy.com/) and Northern Power Systems, Inc., Distributed Energy Systems delivers a combination of practical, ready-today energy solutions and the solid business platforms for capitalizing on the changing energy landscape. For more information, visit http://www.distributed-energy.com/. DATASOURCE: Distributed Energy Systems Corp. CONTACT: Amy Klinger, Northern Power, +1-802-496-2955 ext. 7289, ; or Cynthia Langhorst, Equity Office, +1-312-466- 3593, Web site: http://www.distributed-energy.com/ http://www.northernpower.com/ http://www.equityoffice.com/

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