FuelCell Energy turns onion juice into green power in California
- Publisher
- Elsevier Science
- Year
- 2009
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 77 KB
- Volume
- 2009
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 1464-2859
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✦ Synopsis
The first system is scheduled to be installed this summer, with all three units expected to be operational later this year. A residential GenSys unit will be installed in the basement of each home, and will operate in conjunction with the electric grid, running on natural gas. The fuel cell will produce electricity and high-quality heat to satisfy the home's heating and domestic hot water demands. Plug Power estimates that GenSys will save the homeowner approximately 30% on their monthly utility bill.
The GenSys solution is expected to achieve an overall combined efficiency of 85%. Currently, homes utilizing grid electricity and typical heating systems average 44% household efficiency. 'The residential GenSys solution will allow for tremendous reductions in monthly energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions,' says Mark Sperry, vice president of Plug Power's Continuous Power Division.
Other partners on the project include National Grid, for site selection and grid interconnection; CSA Engineering Services LLC, for mechanical integration to the home heating system and grid interconnection design; Chuck Russo Heating and Air Conditioning LLC, for mechanical installation of fuel cell system; and Socaris Electric, for electrical installation of the fuel cell system.
NYSERDA has funded several projects to advance the development of Plug Power's hightemperature PEM fuel cell system, over many years of collaboration [FCB, September 2008]. The Authority is matching Plug Power's $1.44 million investment in this stage of the GenSys development program.