FuelCellsWorks

IRVINE — UC Irvine’s National Fuel Cell Research Center will partner with New York-based Plug Power to test the viability of the latest generation of fuel cell technology for providing electricity and heat to homes. The $3.4 million partnership, which includes Southern California Gas Co., is a beneficiary of the $42 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding for fuel cell technology announced Wednesday by Energy Secretary Steven Chu.

The three-year project is intended to verify the durability and commercial readiness of Plug Power’s combined heat and power GenSys product. Designed for residential and small business applications, GenSys replaces traditional furnaces and boilers, creating electricity and high-quality heating for consumers. The trial fuel cells will be installed in highly visible locations in Southern California.

“The world looks to California as the testing ground for next-generation power technologies. The eventual shift to fuel cell technology is not an incremental change to society, but rather a dramatic and fundamental shift in the way electrical power will be provided to individual homes,” said Scott Samuelsen, NFCRC director. “UCI has played an integral role in leading this transformation, and we are excited to partner with Plug Power in this important next step.”

Katrina Fritz Intwala, vice president of government and public relations at Plug Power said the Department of Energy’s vision and leadership has facilitated industry expansion.

“This will allow companies like Plug Power and its customers to deploy exciting alternative energy products and accelerate the growth of green jobs,” she said. “We appreciate the DOE’s investment and commitment to fuel cell technology.”

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.–Sprint (NYSE:S – News) announced today it is the only wireless carrier to be awarded a $7.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding earmarked for fuel cell technology. This is the largest single grant awarded by the Department of Energy for this round of grant funding, which totaled $41.9 million. The grant funding will be used to expand Sprint’s hydrogen fuel cell program at cell sites throughout the United States – creating 72 hours of additional network resiliency, especially critical during emergencies and natural disasters.

The grant funding will be used to expand the number of Sprint cell sites which rely on hydrogen fuel cells for back-up power. These fuel cells are activated when service from the local electric utility is disrupted during severe weather or other natural disasters. Currently, most deployed hydrogen fuel cells are paired with low-pressure hydrogen tanks which provide around 15 hours of back-up power before needing refueling. As part of this grant, Sprint will work with hydrogen fuel cell manufacturers, tank providers and hydrogen suppliers to extend the unassisted run-time to 72 hours.

“Since 2005 Sprint has been a leader in the deployment of fuel cell technology. We have deployed more than 250 hydrogen fuel cells in our network, have been awarded a total of three Department of Energy grants to deploy new hydrogen fuel cell technologies and awarded 12 patents from the U.S. Patent Office that include hydrogen fuel cells,” said Bob Azzi, senior vice president of Network at Sprint.

Hydrogen fuel cells provide a much cleaner alternative to diesel-powered back-up generators which have been utilized in the past. Sprint’s leadership in hydrogen fuel cell deployment is just one example of the company’s commitment to the environment. Recently, Sprint announced a set of ambitious environmental priorities that included reducing its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 15 percent and securing 10 percent % of Sprint’s energy needs from renewable sources by 2017.

“Sprint gets it – this alternative source of energy for mobile communications will not only help stimulate the nation’s economy and rebuild America, but also help lead to a greener cleaner environment,” Azzi continued.