UPS Systems installs fuel cell at Yorkshire energy center

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 97 KB
• Volume: 2009
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1464-2859
• DOI: 10.1016/s1464-2859(09)70012-4

✦ Synopsis

electricity and high-quality heat to a National Grid customer located in New York State.

As part of this project, Plug Power will design, build, install and test the high-temperature GenSys unit. National Grid will facilitate site selection and installation, and analyze the system's performance, collecting critical data. Collaboratively, Plug Power and National Grid will determine system refinements to improve the next-generation system design.

'This is a pivotal point in time for Plug Power, as we watch GenSys, the future of residential and light commercial CHP appliances, enter its first field trial under real-world working conditions,' says Andy Marsh, the firm's president/CEO. 'Plug Power has dedicated a decade to the development of its residential system. Our partnership with National Grid will help expedite commercialization, enabling consumers to make a 20-40% reduction in home energy costs and 35% reduction in home carbon emissions.'

The firm's current CHP fuel cell unit is the result of many years of development activity that began with trials at the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA). Research, development and testing done at LIPA provided valuable data, from which Plug Power developed appropriate technology for light commercial and residential applications. For example, the high-temperature proton-exchange membrane supplied by BASF Fuel Cell GmbH allows for higher CO tolerance, which simplifies fuel processing. This results in improved reliability and lower costs.