FuelCellsWorks

DFC-ERG System Significantly Reduces Air Emissions Over Power Generation Alternatives While Achieving Record Peak Electrical Efficiency Over 70 Percent and Commercial-Level Up-Time

DANBURY, Conn. — FuelCell Energy, Inc. (Nasdaq:FCEL), a leading manufacturer of high efficiency ultra-clean power plants using renewable and other fuels for commercial, industrial, government and utility customers, today reported its hybrid power plant attained an average electrical efficiency of 62.5 percent, equipment up-time of 93 percent and reduced greenhouse gas emissions of up to 45 percent.

In its first full year of operation, the Direct FuelCell-Energy Recovery Generation™ (DFC-ERG®) power plant, a joint project with Enbridge Inc., achieved results underscoring its success over a range of scenarios. Since January 2009, Enbridge monitored the DFC-ERG plant under several configurations — matching operating modes for different markets — to measure its emissions and electrical efficiency (that is, the percentage of fuel converted to useful grid power).

While the DFC-ERG unit demonstrated an availability averaging 93 percent for the entire year, it exceeded 96 percent availability during the final six months of 2009. Similarly, although its average electrical efficiency of 62.5 percent compares favorably to a typical conventional fossil fuel generation of about 35 to 40 percent, the plant’s peak electrical efficiency topped 70 percent in some of the scenarios under which it was evaluated. In all of those tests, the benchmark for air quality used was California’s toughest-in-the-nation clean air standards.

The system’s high electrical efficiency allowed it to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 45 percent compared to a conventional natural gas power plant (based on Environment Canada’s “National Inventory Report — Greenhouse Gas Sources and Sinks in Canada 1990–2007″).

“All the time we were operating this plant and getting remarkable electrical efficiencies, we were seeing availability numbers in the 90s,” said Chuck Szmurlo, Vice President, Alternative and Emerging Technologies, Enbridge. “That tells me this is a commercially robust technology. We will submit our results to be independently verified and, when the review is complete, we’ll disclose our data to the industry.”

Although Toronto represents the initial DFC-ERG installation, FuelCell Energy and Enbridge are advancing the necessary commitments for others totaling 18 MW, which were selected by the Connecticut Clean Energy fund as part of that state’s renewable energy portfolio. Gas utilities in other U.S. states also are evaluating the technology. International interest stems from the Toronto project’s evaluation by the Asia Pacific Partnership (APP), a clean energy cooperative involving Australia, Canada, China, India, Japan, South Korea and the United States.

“Enbridge’s validation of the DFC-ERG system is a significant milestone, especially since the market potential is worldwide,” said R. Daniel Brdar, CEO and Chairman of FuelCell Energy. “It gives gas utilities a way of improving pipeline efficiency, reducing emissions and delivering clean energy to the world’s power grid as a byproduct of their daily operations.”

DFC-ERG plant harvests waste energy while reducing pollution

Natural gas is transported via pipelines for use throughout North America. Over most of this route, gas is maintained under high pressure. As the gas enters urban centers, its pressure is purposely reduced at “letdown” stations so it may be safely distributed to homes and businesses.

Normally, the pressure-reduction process involves heating the gas — a step which itself burns some gas, wasting energy and sending pollutants into the air. Integrating a DFC-ERG unit with a letdown station reduces or eliminates this local source of emissions while harvesting energy from the moving gas for clean power. The fuel cell, a non-combustion means of generating ultra-clean energy, also provides additional electricity while using the high quality, zero emission heat to reduce the pollutants normally linked to preheating the natural gas.

The DFC-ERG power plant in Toronto generates ultra-clean electricity while harvesting energy normally lost during natural gas pipeline distribution operations. A joint development effort of FuelCell Energy and Enbridge, the system produces 2.2 megawatts (MW) of electricity, enough to power approximately 1,700 homes.

Funding for the project includes $2.3 million from Natural Resources Canada and a $500,000 grant from the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation. NYSEARCH, the research arm of the Northeast Gas Association, also provided funding for the project’s performance monitoring so US-based gas utilities can better understand how the technology might be adapted for their pipeline networks. Support was provided by the City of Toronto, which enacted a measure allowing residents and businesses to export clean electricity to the grid.

The technology is marketed as the DFC-ERG system in the United States and as Hybrid FuelCells in Canada. More information about the technology is available from FuelCell Energy. Fuel cells are a key technology that supports a portfolio of low-carbon energy supplies that can be viewed on the Enbridge Web site. An independently produced video about the Toronto power plant is available at The Discovery Channel, which is responsible for its own content.

About FuelCell Energy

FuelCell Energy is the world leader in the development and production of stationary fuel cells for commercial, industrial, municipal and utility customers. FuelCell Energy’s ultra-clean and high efficiency DFC® fuel cells are generating power at more than 50 locations worldwide. The company’s power plants have generated over 450 million kilowatt hours of power using a variety of fuels including renewable wastewater gas, biogas from beer and food processing, as well as natural gas and other hydrocarbon fuels. FuelCell Energy has partnerships with major power plant developers and power companies around the world. The company also receives funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and other government agencies for the development of leading edge technologies such as fuel cells. For more information please visit our website at www.fuelcellenergy.com.

About Enbridge Inc.

Enbridge Inc., a Canadian company, is a North American leader in delivering energy. As a transporter of energy, Enbridge operates through its wholly owned subsidiaries, in Canada and the U.S., the world’s longest crude oil and liquids transportation system. The Company also has a growing involvement in the natural gas transmission and midstream businesses, and is expanding its interests in renewable and green energy technologies, including wind and solar energy, hybrid fuel cells and carbon dioxide sequestration. As a distributor of energy, Enbridge owns Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc., Canada’s largest natural gas distribution company and provides distribution services to about 1.9 million customers in Ontario, New York State, New Brunswick and southwestern Quebec. A Top 100 Canadian Employer for 2010, Enbridge employs approximately 6,000 people, primarily in Canada and the U.S. Enbridge’s common shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under the symbol ENB. For more information, visit enbridge.com.

ANN ARBOR, MICH. — Adaptive Materials, the leader in developing and manufacturing solid oxide fuel cells, was recently awarded a $2.9 million contract to develop a 300-watt fuel cell system for the Department of Defense.  This contract award also includes three option phases that, if awarded, could include delivery of more than 100 fuel cells, increasing the total value of the contract to $5 million.

The fuel cell systems that Adaptive Materials will deliver to the U.S. Army will provide a lightweight, portable power and energy resource that soldiers can use to charge battery-powered devices in the field.

“Winning the 300-watt contract from the Department of Defense is a huge accomplishment for Adaptive Materials,” said Michelle Crumm, chief business officer.  “Adaptive Materials continues to demonstrate superior value and win fuel cell contracts to provide portable power to our soldiers.  Having to demonstrate the ruggedness, durability and reliability of fuel cells has narrowed down the field of viable manufacturers, and we’re extremely pleased that Adaptive Materials is able to demonstrate, time and again, its leadership.”

Adaptive Materials’ fuel cell systems are being designed to serve as a portable battery charger capable of charging up to six batteries simultaneously.  These six batteries can be any combination of lithium ion batteries used by the U.S. Army for its field operations.  The fuel cell systems will also provide a 28-volt output.

In keeping with its established product performance in the field, Adaptive Materials will focus on delivering reliable energy output durable in a rugged 300-watt fuel cell with extended service life.  Its fuel cell will also minimize weight and volume, ultimately providing a lightweight and portable power source for soldiers on the move.

Prototypes of the 300-watt fuel cell developed by Adaptive Materials will be delivered to the U.S. Army in June.

About Adaptive Materials, Inc.

Based in Ann Arbor, Mich., Adaptive Materials, Inc. is the first company to develop, demonstrate and deliver a portable, affordable, and fuel flexible solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system.  The company offers 50 and 250-watt fuel cell systems that are powered by globally available and energy dense propane, butane and LPG.  Adaptive Materials’ fuel cell system provides portable power to the United States Armed Forces as well as industries including leisure, remote monitoring, and medical devices.  For more information, visit www.adaptivematerials.com.

By TODD WOODY

While Google, Wal-Mart and other corporations have embraced fuel cells, California regulators have turned down requests from the state’s two biggest utilities to install the technology.

In a preliminary decision, an administrative law judge with the California Public Utilities Commission found unwarranted an application from Pacific Gas and Electric and Southern California to spend more than $43 million to install fuel cells that would generate six megawatts of electricity.

The technology transforms hydrogen, natural gas or other fuels into electricity through an electrochemical process, emitting fewer or no pollutants, depending on the type of fuel used.

“It is unreasonable to spend three times the price paid to renewable generation for the proposed Fuel Cell Projects, which are nonrenewable and fueled by natural gas,” wrote the administrative law judge, Dorothy J. Duda, in a proposed ruling issued last week. “In addition, the applications do not satisfactorily address how full ratepayer funding of utility-owned fuel cell generation would enhance private market investment and market transformation of the fuel cell industry.”

An alternative decision issued by the president of the California Public Utilities Commission, Michael R. Peevey, would approve the applications but lower how much of the program’s cost the utilities could recover from their ratepayers. The utilities commission can either accept or reject the recommendations.

Last month, Bloom Energy lifted the curtain on its fuel cell technology and announced that Google, Wal-Mart and other big companies have purchased its Bloom Energy Server to supply off-the-grid electricity to corporate campuses.

P.G&.E and Southern California Edison, on the other hand, are interested in how well fuel cells can provide power to the grid.

“The objective of P.G.&E.’s Fuel Cell Project is to advance the installation of fuel cell technologies in California,” the utility said in a filing with the California Public Utilities Commission. “Fuel cells can play a role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions by utilizing fuels with low or neutral carbon content at high electrical efficiencies.”

The utility proposed installing fuel cells that would generate three megawatts of electricity at California State University campuses in San Francisco and Hayward, Calif.

FuelCell Energy of Danbury, Conn., would provide two 1.4-megawatt molten carbonate fuel cells that would also produce heat and water for the campuses for 10 years, according to Janice Berman, a senior director at P.G.&E.

She said the utility has signed a contract with Bloom Energy for two of the Silicon Valley start-up’s 100-kilowatt solid oxide fuel cells that would provide electricity at San Francisco State University.

Bloom’s fuel cells use any excess heat to increase the efficiency of the devices.

“Monitoring at the point of distribution will assist the utility in developing the right tools as the penetration of distributed generation in urban areas continues to increase,” the utility said in its filing. “P.G.&E. will evaluate the use of fuel cell by-products by the universities to identify economic efficiencies achieved by the combined generation of electricity and heat along with the utilization of discharged water.”

Southern California Edison proposed installing 1.4-megawatt molten carbonate fuel cells at two California State University campuses and solid oxide fuel cells that would generate 200 kilowatts at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Despite the recent corporate enthusiasm for Bloom Energy, fuel cell technology has not made much headway in California.

P.G.&.E. noted that a state program to subsidize fuel cells has resulted in the installation of only 13 megawatts, providing just 0.01 percent of California’s peak electricity demand.

When the state Department of General Services offered power purchase agreements for electricity generated by fuel cells, Bloom Energy was the only manufacturer that responded, according to the filing.

http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/california-utility-regulators-not-quite-ready-for-fuel-cells/

DFC-H2 System is Based on FuelCell Energy’s Clean Fuel Cell Power Generation Technology

DANBURY, Conn. — FuelCell Energy, Inc. (Nasdaq:FCEL), a leading manufacturer of high efficiency ultra-clean power plants using renewable and other fuels for commercial, industrial, government, and utility customers, today announced subcontract awards totaling $2.1 million from Air Products (NYSE:APD). The prime contract to demonstrate a renewable hydrogen fueling station was awarded to Air Products by the California Air Resources Board and supported by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The project is to demonstrate an Air Products’ concept which incorporates FuelCell Energy’s DFC-H2® technology in a hydrogen fueling station.  The DFC-H2® can produce clean power, heat and renewable hydrogen.

The hydrogen will supply the state-of-the-art hydrogen fueling station developed and to be installed by Air Products at the Orange County Sanitation District’s (OCSD) wastewater treatment facility in Fountain Valley, California. The system will be fueled with biogas from wastewater treatment operations and produce 300 kilowatts of power and up to 300 pounds of hydrogen per day. This hydrogen could be used for early market fuel cell applications such as back up power and forklifts and is sufficient to fuel roughly 100 fuel cell cars. The electricity will be available for use by OCSD for its operations.

“The award of the prime contracts giving rise to the announced subcontracts is a clear acknowledgement by DOE and California of the importance of using a renewable resource such as biogas to generate energy,” said Christopher Bentley, FuelCell Energy’s Executive Vice President of Government Research & Development Operations. “Our research indicates that hydrogen efficiently produced as a byproduct by the DFC-H2® can be less costly than hydrogen produced by other methods and can enable the expansion of ultra-clean, hydrogen production systems worldwide, while providing the benefits of distributed power generation.”

During the past two years under the ongoing DOE program, FuelCell Energy and Air Products have developed a co-production test unit and successfully validated the test unit in 2009 at FuelCell Energy’s research and development facility. The test unit produced hydrogen and power meeting the predeployment testing objectives in advance of its siting at OCSD.  Details on Air Products’ hydrogen fueling station technologies are provided at www.airproducts.com/h2energy.

About FuelCell Energy, Inc.

DFC® fuel cells are generating power at over 50 locations worldwide. The company’s power plants have generated over 450 million kWh of power using a variety of fuels including renewable wastewater gas, biogas from beer and food processing, as well as natural gas and other hydrocarbon fuels. FuelCell Energy has partnerships with major power plant developers and power companies around the world. The company also receives funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and other government agencies for the development of leading edge technologies such as fuel cells. For more information please visit our website at www.fuelcellenergy.com

About Air Products

Air Products (NYSE:APD) serves customers in industrial, energy, technology and healthcare markets worldwide with a unique portfolio of atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases, performance materials, and equipment and services. Founded in 1940, Air Products has built leading positions in key growth markets such as semiconductor materials, refinery hydrogen, home healthcare services, natural gas liquefaction, and advanced coatings and adhesives. The company is recognized for its innovative culture, operational excellence and commitment to safety and the environment. In fiscal 2009, Air Products had revenues of $8.3 billion, operations in over 40 countries, and 18,900 employees around the globe. For more information, visit www.airproducts.com.

Written by Kimberly Donnelly

The town has reached a settlement agreement with Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P) that puts a fuel cell project at the schools one step closer to reality.

“It’s a good deal. I’m very happy with the agreement,” said First Selectman Gayle Weinstein earlier this week.

The Board of Selectmen met last Thursday, March 4, and agreed to allow Ms. Weinstein to sign an agreement with CL&P that allows Weston to “net meter”— add together — its electric accounts at Weston High School and Weston Middle School.

CL&P had asked the town to physically connect the electric meters at the two buildings, which would have cost an estimated $900,000. The town, in turn, asked the Department of Public Utility Control (DPUC) for a declaratory ruling allowing the town to combine its energy usage at the middle and high schools by simple accounting (adding the two accounts together) instead.

On Feb. 8, the DPUC issued a draft ruling allowing the town to aggregate electric consumption at the high school and middle school and to apply that net amount against electricity generated by a fuel cell the town wants to install at the middle school.

The DPUC’s ruling stated not only could the town combine usage numbers at the two schools, but it could also include electricity delivered to other town buildings in calculating how much electricity is used.

The following week, however, CL&P filed an exception to the draft ruling, based in part, Ms. Weinstein said, on this broader-than-asked-for allowance.

And so, the first selectman said at last week’s selectmen’s meeting, “we came to a compromise.”

“With this agreement, what CL&P is saying is we’d be able to net meter without having to physically connect [the electrical lines] … which would save us the supplier charges” at the high school, Ms. Weinstein said. There will likely be no supplier charges at the middle school, she added, because the fuel cell will take care of the power there.

Under the agreement, the town also does not have to pay additional distribution charges at the middle school. Because the town will still be using CL&P’s transmission lines at the high school, it will still pay distribution and transmission charges for that building’s electric consumption. “The discount will be on the supply side,” Ms. Weinstein explained.

“What CL&P is offering, which I was very happy about … is they are going to credit us on the supply side at the retail rate, which is significant for us — it’s about a 40% to 50% savings” compared to the wholesale rate, she said.

Weston has asked United Technologies to build and install a 400-kW fuel cell at or near the middle school. It is estimated the fuel cell would provide 95% of the electricity needed for both Weston High School and Weston Middle School, all of the heat for the pool at the middle school, a significant amount of the heat and hot water for the middle school, and all of the air conditioning for the middle school.

“To the extent the alternative generation [by the fuel cell] reduces demand … at the middle school, [Weston’s electric bill] would be reduced accordingly,” Ms. Weinstein said.

Because of the agreement reached with CL&P, Ms. Weinstein and CL&P representatives went before the DPUC last Friday, March 5, and the town withdrew its request for a declaratory ruling.

CL&P asked for and received from the DPUC a protective order, sealing the settlement agreement.

When asked why it had requested the agreement be sealed, Mitch Gross, spokesman for CL&P, said only it was done “at request of our attorneys.”

“I’m very happy with the agreement. It’s absolutely in Weston’s best interest,” said Ms. Weinstein. “The fact that CL&P asked for a protective order proves that.”

TOKYO —A research firm has estimated Japan’s market for fuel cells will expand 99-fold from fiscal 2009 to 1.61 trillion yen in fiscal 2025 due to uptake of the technology for housing and vehicles. Fuel cell systems for housing will serve as a driving force for the market until fiscal 2018 before the spread of fuel cell vehicles in competition with hybrid gasoline-electric and electric cars, the Fuji-Keizai Group says in a recent survey report.

Fuel cells generate electricity through reactions between hydrogen and oxygen without emitting carbon dioxide and are seen as a promising tool to reduce such emissions.

The market is estimated to expand from 16.3 billion yen in fiscal 2009 ending this month to 99.6 billion yen in fiscal 2015 and exceed 300 billion yen in 2020, supported by growing demand for fuel cell systems for housing.

As the fuel cell vehicle diffusion gains momentum later, fuel cell demand may reach 990 billion yen for automobiles and 507 billion yen for housing in fiscal 2025.

Fuel cells for vehicles and housing may thus account for more than 90% of the market in fiscal 2025. The remaining fuel cells may be used for mobile phones and other portable machines.

YARMOUTH, Maine (AP) ― The town of Yarmouth could become the test site for an inventor’s proposal for a commercially viable way to extract hydrogen gas from water.

Hydrogen can be used as a clean source of energy, but the production of industrial quantities of the gas requires large amounts of fossil fuels.

The Portland Press Herald says the pilot project would use effluent from the Yarmouth wastewater treatment plant and hydroelectricity from the Royal River to extract hydrogen from water. The gas could then be used to power the plant and perhaps other town buildings.

Ronny Bar-Gadda of Genesys LLC of San Jose, Calif., says Maine’s small population and interest in energy independence and climate-change issues make it an appealing laboratory.

While countries like Germany, Japan and America have embraced fuel cell technology, the UK has until now lagged behind with high capital costs serving as a major barrier to widespread adoption of fuel cell technology.

Tom Sperrey, UPS Systems’ Managing Director, is forecasting significant commercial growth for the UK fuel cell industry. Tom Sperrey believes the UK fuel cell landscape is to change in the next 12 months as costs fall with new products entering the market.

“2010 is bringing with it a new wave of fuel cell activity. Already new products are launching into the market and companies continue to show interest in learning more about fuel cells and adopting clean technology. We are currently discussing fuel cell system roll-outs with several major corporates and NGOs.”

“Under a grant from the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) we are part of a consortium working to develop new technologies that reduce the use of expensive materials in fuel cells. As these developments are rolled out commercially, we expect capital costs to fall and make the technology financially attainable for more businesses.”

“Growth hotspots at present are traffic signalling, remote monitoring and security using smaller hydrogen and methanol fuel cells with power ranges between 25W to 150W for prime power and up to 15kW for standby power. Because smaller fuel cells are reliable, durable and portable, they are better suited to these types of applications.”

“In these growth hotspots, fuel cells offer extended runtimes, for example, a fuel cell equipped with a 28 litre canister of methanol can easily operate equipment continuously for up to six months without human interference, therefore reducing the costs of manpower, transport and materials costs associated with sending someone to replace batteries on a regular basis.”

“Smaller units have the potential to revolutionise the UK fuel cell industry. They are suitable for a range of applications and are proven technology in a growing number of commercial installations. With falling capital costs, and increased savings through lower running and maintenance costs, these smaller units are beginning to achieve widespread adoption across the UK. As capital costs fall, further applications become viable and create greater demand for fuel cells as an alternative and sustainable source of power.”

In summary, Tom’s prediction for 2010 is:
• Costs for smaller fuel cells will continue to fall
• Fuel cell growth hotspots will be in low power applications
• When servicing is taken into account, fuel cell extended runtimes give businesses a much cheaper source of power
• By working together with our research partners, we are helping to develop technology that drives down fuel cell capital costs even further.

The jig load assembly, model of a liquid-hydrogen engine and fuselage skins for Boeing’s Phantom Eye demonstrator in St. Louis are part of the high altitude long endurance aircraft being assembled by teams in Boeing’s Phantom Works division. Other work on Phantom Eye is being done in Irvine and Huntington Beach, Calif., and in Seattle.-Credit: Boeing photo

ST. LOUIS — The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] has begun to build Phantom Eye — its first unmanned, liquid-hydrogen powered, high altitude long endurance (HALE) demonstrator aircraft.

“The essence of Phantom Eye is its propulsion system,” said Darryl Davis, Boeing Phantom Works president. “After five years of technology development, we are now deploying rapid prototyping to bring together an unmanned aerial vehicle [UAV] with a breakthrough liquid-hydrogen propulsion system that will be ready to fly early next year.”

Phantom Eye’s entire propulsion system — including the engine, turbo chargers and engine control system — successfully completed an 80-hour test in an altitude chamber on March 1, clearing the way for the propulsion system and UAV to be assembled.

The twin-engine Phantom Eye demonstrator will have a 150-foot wingspan and be capable of flying for more than four days at altitudes up to 65,000 feet while carrying a payload of up to 450 pounds. Phantom Eye is designed to maintain a persistent presence in the stratosphere over a specific area, while performing missions that could include intelligence, reconnaissance, surveillance and communication. Boeing also is developing a larger HALE that will stay aloft for more than 10 days and carry payloads of more than 2,000 pounds, and building “Phantom Ray,” a fighter-sized UAV that will be a flying test bed for advanced technologies.

“We believe Phantom Eye and Phantom Ray represent two areas where the unmanned aerial vehicle market is heading, and rapid prototyping is the key to getting us there,” said Dave Koopersmith, Advanced Boeing Military Aircraft vice president. “These innovative demonstrators reduce technology risks and set the stage for meeting both military and commercial customers’ future needs.”

Phantom Eye evolved from Boeing’s earlier success with the piston-powered Condor that set several records for altitude and endurance in the late 1980s. Boeing, as the Phantom Eye system designer, is working closely with Ball Aerospace, Aurora Flight Sciences, Ford Motor Co. and MAHLE Powertrain to develop the demonstrator.

Phantom Ray evolved from the X-45C program. It is scheduled to make its first flight in December.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world’s largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world’s largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $34 billion business with 68,000 employees worldwide.

One drinking-water bottle could provide enough energy for an entire household in the developing world if Dan Nocera has his way. A chemist from M.I.T. and founder of the company Sun Catalytix, Nocera has developed a cobalt-based catalyst that allows him to store energy the same way plants do: by splitting water.

“Almost all the solar energy is stored in water splitting,” Nocera told the inaugural ARPA-E conference on March 2. Solar Catalytix is among five companies awarded government funding to develop “direct solar fuels,” dubbed “electrofuels” by ARPA-E, the new Advanced Research Projects Agency for transformational energy technologies. “We emulated photosynthesis for large-scale storage of solar energy.”

According to Nocera, his new system can work at ambient temperatures and pressures, without corrosion in a simple glass of water, even polluted water. “If you need pure water for energy storage, they’ll drink it,” Nocera said. “Use puddle water instead.” In fact, Nocera has been running his prototype on untreated water from the Charles River in Boston. And it’s cheap, not $12,000 per kilowatt like commercial electrolyzers that do the same thing. “That’s not going to help the energy situation for the U.S. or poor people of the world.”

Using the electricity generated by a photovoltaic array five meters by six meters, Nocera claims he can split enough water in less than four hours “to store enough energy for the average American home” for a day, a little more than 30 kilowatt-hours. “We need to stop making big energy systems one a time to service lots of people. We need to do it the old American way of making one small one and then manufacturing that system to give it to the masses.”

His example? The automobile. After all, in 1898, concerned civic leaders from around the world gathered because estimates predicted that London would be buried under three meters  of manure at then current rates of growth; New York City would have piles reaching to the third story of buildings. Within two decades, that problem was entirely gone. “They didn’t see the automobile industry coming,” Nocera said. “Shift happens.”

    -  $6.2 million in funding to Ballard for fuel cell research and
       development projects
    -  Ballard will collaborate with leading U.S. technology partners
    -  Projects will focus on fuel cell durability and cost to enable
       widespread commercialization of fuel cells for diverse applications

VANCOUVER- Ballard Power Systems (TSX: BLD; NASDAQ: BLDP) announced today that it has $6.2 million in project funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under contract over a four year period. Ballard Material Products, a U.S. subsidiary of Ballard Power Systems, was awarded $4.1 million as prime for a contract that will focus on improvements in fuel cell durability and cost. Additionally, Ballard will be sub-contractor to leading U.S. technology organizations for several other fuel cell research and development projects funded by the DOE.

“We are excited to be working with a technology leader such as Ballard Power Systems,” said Dr. Rod Borup, Fuel Cell Program Manager, Institute for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Research at Los Alamos National Laboratory, one of Ballard’s project partners. “This is important work in support of the DOE goal to move fuel cell technology closer to large scale commercialization. Our collaborations with Ballard are in the areas of understanding and improving fuel cell durability and reducing technology cost, which are the primary enablers to rapid market adoption of fuel cell systems.”

Over eighty percent of the announced DOE funding has been allocated to projects aimed at increased durability and cost reduction, with the remaining funds focused on water management modeling. The project for which Ballard Material Products will be prime is meant to improve the understanding of fuel cell materials and components degradation, leading to recommended mitigation strategies to facilitate further commercialization. Resulting advancements will facilitate commercialization of fuel cells for a range of applications, including stationary power generation.

In addition to Los Alamos National Laboratory, Ballard will be partnering with other leading U.S. technology organizations, including Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratory, Georgia Institute of Technology, Michigan Technical University, University of Hawaii at Manoa and University of New Mexico.

“The receipt of significant funding from the DOE clearly demonstrates the Department of Energy’s interest in fuel cell market adoption,” said Dr. Christopher Guzy, Chief Technology Officer at Ballard Power Systems. “This funding is completely aligned with Ballard’s plans to continue investing in strategic enhancements of non-automotive fuel cell products.”

About Ballard Power Systems

Ballard Power Systems (TSX: BLD; NASDAQ: BLDP) provides clean energy fuel cell products enabling optimized power systems for a range of applications. To learn more about Ballard, please visit www.ballard.com.

"Autarc"(autonomous floating office)

ITM Power (AIM: ITM), the energy storage and clean fuel company, is delighted to announce that it has signed a Memorandun of Understanding with Ballast Nedam Sustainability Services B.V. (”B-N”) part of the Ballast Nedam Group, a Dutch construction and infrastructure development company, of Ringwade 71, 3439 LM Nieuwegein, Netherlands, for the exclusive provision of hydrogen energy systems for the the “Autarc”(autonomous floating office).

ITM will contribute its design and technology expertise to the Autarc project to produce a self contained clean energy system.  Ballast Nedam and ITM will seek to apply such solutions in the domestic built environment and Ballast Nedam will have exclusive rights to do so in the Benelux group of countries.

Dr Graham Cooley, CEO ITM Power commented; “The agreement with Ballast Nedam Sustainability Services provides ITM with an excellent opportunity to show case its energy storage and clean fuel technology in an “off-grid” situation. The Autarc, will be sited at various locations around the world, to demonstrate the virtues of a green office or green home environment based on hydrogen technology. ITM Power and Ballast Nedam will in addition be addressing the application of zero-carbon sustainable domestic buildings within the Benelux group of countries”.

“Ballast Nedam is a major player in infrastructure and construction projects in the Netherlands and we look forward to providing expertise to add value to the sustainable proposition of their projects.”

Mr Ron Von Wilk, Director of Ballast Nedam Sustainability Services, stated “We are very pleased to be working with ITM Power and their unique energy storage, clean fuel technology that enables renewable sources of energy, such as solar or wind, to be used for power, heating  or cooking using green hydrogen, whenever needed.

Ron added, “ITM’s technology, combined with Ballast Nedam’s building design and construction expertise in deploying state of the art energy conservation methods, is just what is needed in order to enable buildings to become zero carbon for energy.  We believe the Autarc project will mark the beginning of a very rewarding partnership for both companies in delivering truly world beating sustainable, zero carbon building solutions.”

The Autarc http://www.autarc.nl/show/en/home

The Autarc is an architecturally highly advanced houseboat / floating office that is a hundred percent self-sustaining in both its water and electrical requirements. This highly ambitious pilot project sets both an example and a new standard in the field of environmental care (our aim: an “outstanding” Breeam-score).

Not a single compromise is made in aesthetics or user comfort, quite the contrary! The Autarc proves that living and working on the water in exceeding style and comfort is possible even without being connected to external water, electricity and sewage systems.

Ballast Nedam is a Dutch group of companies which offers a wide range of products and services related to construction and infrastructure development.  Ballast Nedam Sustainability Services delivers sustainable total solutions in the built environment, by offering an integrated blend of specialties and operations in all phases of the construction process. This includes the use of a results-oriented sustainability policy.

http://www.ballast-nedam.nl/

ITM Power has developed a range of materials and technology to reduce the cost of hydrogen production. The company is developing equipment to convert renewable energy to a clean fuel; storing the energy as green hydrogen for decarbonising transport, industrial and residential applications. ITM is showcasing its products for the first time at the Hanover Messe on 19^th -23^rd April 2010. www.itm-power.com

GARDNERVILLE, NV– SymPowerco Corporation (PINKSHEETS: SYMW) CEO John Davenport today announced that the company has entered Phase II of its two concurrent prototype projects, the Flowing Electrolyte Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (”FEDMFC”) Prototype Project and the Hybrid Power System Project for small Hybrid Electric Vehicles.

Phase II of the FEDMFC prototype project will include materials and equipment assessments for the various components that will constitute the fuel cell stack and the prototype’s Balance of Plant. In addition, Phase II is intended to produce the complete CAD/CAM design plans of the advanced components that are required to satisfy the recently announced objectives of the program.

Phase II of the Hybrid Power System Project will include formal assessments of the materials and equipment required to test several types of power sources required for small Hybrid Electric Vehicle drive systems.

Stated CEO, John Davenport, “Phase II is intended to take both projects forward to the point of procurement of the equipment and material required for the assembly of the prototypes. Many aspects of Phase II are already at advanced levels of development and the company hopes to complete the remaining Phase II elements in an expedited manner.”

SymPowerco Corporation develops advanced fuel cell and power delivery systems for the rapidly growing personal transportation and portable power system markets that are being created by today’s energy and environmental challenges.

The Australian Academy of Science has released a report on ‘Australia’s Renewable Energy Future’. The report builds on a lecture series hosted by the Academy, including a presentation by Dr Karl Föger, Chief Technology Officer of Ceramic Fuel Cells.

The report includes a strong endorsement of the need to transform Australia’s energy system, and the role for highly efficient fuel cell generators.

Some notable quotes from the report (with some emphasis added):

The adaptation of the electricity and power distribution grid to facilitate the low-carbon economy appears to be pivotal. The current model of a ‘dumb’ grid, centralised power generation, and high-loss transmission is unsustainable.

A successful model for the low-carbon economy must also embrace efficient non-renewable forms of energy such as liquid natural gas (LNG). Natural gas provides notable advantages in electricity generation, heating and transport as it yields relatively less greenhouse gas emissions per energy output, and can make use of modern, efficient equipment.

Although not strictly a ‘renewable’ energy resource, the combined heat and power (CHP) technology, of which fuel cells are one type, represent an important part of Australia’s energy future, given our very large resources of natural gas. This technology is suitable for use at both grid and domestic scales, and could save between 8 to 16 tonnes of per capita emissions of CO2 equivalent per year.

The advantages of fuel cell technology can be summarised as follows:

very high efficiency of conversion to electrical power

low CO2 emissions and noise

ideal for dispersed electrical generation

excellent load-following capability

suitable for co-generation (heat plus electricity).

Fuel cell technology has the potential to overcome the issue of limited load cycles associated with truly renewable energy resources such as wind and solar photovoltaic. Fuel cell grid systems provide a ‘controllable’ generator able to respond rapidly to changes in load, and would therefore make a substantial contribution to grid stability, comparable to installation of significant energy storage.

The fuel cell technology is available ‘off the shelf’, but requires stimulation of demand to achieve significant market penetration in Australia, as volume manufacturing and sales are required to achieve commercially attractive cost targets.

The report recommends several options for encouraging the deployment of fuel cell products, including a national system of feed-in tariff rates for combined heat and power (CHP) domestic generation.

Many other markets have introduced premium feed-in tariffs for small scale natural gas fuel cell generators, including Germany, the United Kingdom, France and The Netherlands. California is consulting now on a similar policy.

Ceramic Fuel Cells will continue to lobby Governments in Australia to introduce a feed-in tariff for small scale natural gas fuel cell generators. We welcome the support of the Australian Academy of Science. www.cleanenergypartnership.de

PS Systems’ Managing Director, Tom Sperrey, and his crew have been declared winners of the prestigious Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) racing division. Tom and crew crossed the finishing line on 8th December having sailed his boat ‘Nightlife’ from Gran Canaria to St. Lucia. A portable fuel cell on board provided auxiliary power.

The annual transatlantic race is part of the largest ocean sailing event in the world, attracting over 200 yachts each year. The race starts in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and covers 2,700 nautical miles, finishing in Rodney Bay St. Lucia. Nightlife, skippered by Tom Sperrey, won the RORC IRC Racing Division of ARC 2009 and received their winner’s trophy in front of 800 people at the prize giving ceremony.

Nightlife had on board an EFOY 1600 methanol fuel cell. The unit generated 65W of electricity to power the navigation, computer and communications equipment.

“After being at sea for 16 days, we were absolutely delighted to reach St. Lucia and discover we had won the race,” said Tom Sperrey. “The fuel cell performed incredibly well, even under the hostile conditions of the mid-Atlantic. It’s perfect for sailing as it provided us with a quiet, clean, compact and reliable source of power that lasted for the whole trip. There isn’t much equipment on a boat that doesn’t require maintenance, but we didn’t have to worry about the fuel cell. Using the fuel cell for the communications equipment meant that we didn’t have to keep powering up the boat’s diesel engine to re-charge the batteries.”

A residential fuel cell produces electricity more efficiently and with less carbon dioxide than a utility gas turbine — and no one in San Diego or Riverside counties has one.

It’s too new. The electricity-generation alternative didn’t exist on a scale practical for home users until 2009.

It’s so new that representatives from San Diego Gas & Electric Co. and Southern California Edison said they have no residential fuel cell customers.

Find Solutions for Enterprises, SMBs & Service Providers at the INTERNET TELEPHONY Conference and EXPO West, October 4-6, 2010. Los Angeles, CA.

Find Solutions for Enterprises, SMBs & Service Providers at the INTERNET TELEPHONY Conference and EXPO West, October 4-6, 2010. Los Angeles, CA.

Find Solutions for Enterprises, SMBs & Service Providers at the INTERNET TELEPHONY Conference and EXPO West, October 4-6, 2010. Los Angeles, CA.

Find Solutions for Enterprises, SMBs & Service Providers at the INTERNET TELEPHONY Conference and EXPO West, October 4-6, 2010. Los Angeles, CA.

Find Solutions for Enterprises, SMBs & Service Providers at the INTERNET TELEPHONY Conference and EXPO West, October 4-6, 2010. Los Angeles, CA.

Find Solutions for Enterprises, SMBs & Service Providers at the INTERNET TELEPHONY Conference and EXPO West, October 4-6, 2010. Los Angeles, CA.

To introduce the device, which is about the size of a refrigerator and can power an entire home, the California Center for Sustainable Energy is holding two seminars next week to explain the costs and benefits of these high-tech generation units.

A unit for home use produced by Portland, Ore.-based ClearEdge Power produces 5 kilowatts and costs $56,000.

It uses 40 percent less gas and produces 37 percent less carbon than a utility turbine, and it does it all in a fraction of the space required for cleaner technologies such as solar and wind, the company said.

As it happens, fuel cells have been around for decades — the Gemini space missions used them in the early 1960s — but they’ve been too large and too expensive for residential use.

Models that produce 1 megawatt or more are already at work at UC San Diego and the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant, and hospitals sometimes use fuel cells for backup generation.

But last year, Panasonic Corp. released a small, 1 kw unit for the Japanese market, and ClearEdge released its 5 kw unit for the United States.

Together, they’re bringing fuel cell power to the home customer.

To produce power, the fuel cell takes the hydrogen from gas — and it can be natural gas, off-gas from garbage dumps, or biomass — and strips it of electrons.

A platinum barrier allows positively charged ions to take a short cut through the cell, but negatively charged electrons are forced out of the cell and into an electric circuit, providing electricity to the house.

To complete the circuit, the electrons return to the cell, where they meet the hydrogen ions and oxygen in the air to produce water.

Oh, and heat. Lots of heat. More heat than electricity.

ClearEdge Vice President Mike Upp said that when converted into the same units, his fuel cell produces 51 megawatts of heat in a year, as compared with 43 mw of electricity.

That heat can be put to good use: Upp said it could heat water for showers, and keep a pool comfortable even on coastal properties.

A house that needs a 5 kw system is going to be pretty big, probably 3,000 square feet or more.

Upp said they’re working on a 3 kw system that would be more appropriate for a 2,000-square-foot house, although he thinks they’re a year or two away from that.

In the meantime, he said that the fuel cells work well with solar to provide electricity that’s always available, and they get the benefits of net metering: When the house is producing its own electricity, homeowners are credited on their bill (but still pay for natural gas).

With state and federal incentives, the $48,000 price tag is cut in half, but the technology is still more expensive than solar power.

One installer offers $5.29 a watt for solar, while the fuel cell runs at $9.60 a watt.

Both technologies can be had for lower prices with state and federal incentives.

But some clean-energy experts aren’t that enthusiastic about the environmental benefits of fuel cells.

“I would tout them as greener — I wouldn’t say they’re green,” said Mark Snyder, an electrical engineer and expert in alternative energy generation. “Gas doesn’t, in my view, come under a renewable resource.” Snyder supported the idea of fuel cells for places such as Vermont and New York, where solar and wind are less viable, and the waste heat can be used during the long winters.

And he liked the idea of a fuel cell as a backup for solar power systems.

But mostly, he thought of fuel cells as a temporary solution.

“Use it as a bridge technology to get to a completely renewable future,” he said.

The Center for Sustainable Energy will hold introductory seminars on fuel cells for business owners and residents March 8. To register, call 858-244-1177 or go to www.energycenter.org/fuelcells.

Call staff writer Eric Wolff at 760-740-5412.

To see more of the North County Times or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.nctimes.com.

Copyright (c) 2010, North County Times, Escondido, Calif.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

Under the CEP banner, strong partners are jointly developing the fuel of the future. With Toyota joining the partnership, the construction of new filling stations, and the establishment of additional hydrogen centres, the Clean Energy Partnership (CEP) is resolutely advancing on its path to creating sustainable mobility. The CEP sends out an important signal and with the assistance of the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs (BMVBS) is investing in a sustainable energy supply as well as the development of Germany as a business location.

The year 2010 started dynamically for the Clean Energy Partnership: with Toyota coming on board, the CEP has gained another strong partner from the automotive industry, further raising its international profile. Rainer Bomba, State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs (BMVBS), said: “Germany aims to be the lead market for electric mobility. What has happened here today shows that we are on the right track. The future of transport lies in the electrification of the propulsion systems. No single technology will be enough to solve this challenge on its own. Therefore, we are pursuing a non-technology-specific approach with our programmes and are promoting both battery and hydrogen and fuel cell technology. The industry, together with the German Federal Ministry of Transport, has earmarked around EUR 2 billion for this.”

The new partner will help ensure that innovations from Germany go on to become global technical standards. Toyota and the CEP partners seek to build a sustainable society with the help of hydrogen technology, and to pave the way into an era of zero-emissions mobility. Toyota will contribute five FCHV-adv fuel-cell hybrid vehicles to the partnership by 2011, so there will then be a total of 40 emission-free cars from six car manufacturers on the road in Berlin and Hamburg.

Tadashi Arashima, President & CEO of Toyota Motor Europe, said: ” We firmly believe that fuel cell hybrid vehicles, or FCHVs, will play a major role in reducing emissions and in achieving sustainable mobility, alongside petrol Hybrids, Plug-in Hybrids and pure electric vehicle. These various applications of full hybrid technology will each play their role and co-exist in the future. Toyota aims at the commercialization of fuel cell vehicles around 2015. To achieve this goal, needless to say, a hydrogen charging infrastructure is necessary. So, a close tie-up between car manufacturers and infrastructure companies are of vital importance. “

In Germany during the “Year of Hydrogen and Fuel Cells”, the World Hydrogen Energy Conference (WHEC) in Essen, May 16-21, 2010 and the “Energy in Transition” information campaign will focus attention on the vast potential of hydrogen as a source of renewable energy. With the construction of the first CO2-free filling station by CEP’s partner TOTAL at Berlin-Brandenburg Airport and the opening of a hydrogen filling station on Holzmarktstrasse by the partners Linde, Statoil and TOTAL in the spring, the CEP is actively supporting the continuous expansion of the hydrogen Infrastructure with the help of the BMVBS. Other filling stations in Berlin, Hamburg and along the A24 autobahn are in planning. The integration of renewable energy plays a major role in this. The declared objective of the Clean Energy Partnership is to increase the proportion of hydrogen produced using renewable energy to 50%. It is currently in talks with the German states of Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia in order to set up and integrate additional hydrogen centres, and thereby guarantee re-fuelling opportunities nationwide.

Dr. Klaus Bonhoff, Chairman of the Management Board of NOW GmbH (National Organisation for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology), declared: “The CEP is a success story of the National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Innovation Programme. The international interest it is receiving and Toyota’s becoming a partner confirm that the private sector around the world is banking on hydrogen with fuel cells as an efficient and sustainable technology. We need these new technologies to introduce renewable energies to the transport sector, and use them there efficiently. Otherwise we will not reach the global climate targets.”

The aim of the Clean Energy Partnership – an alliance of 13 leading companies – is to establish hydrogen as the “fuel of the future.” Among the organisations involved in this trailblazing project are major technology, oil and energy players, as well as the majority of German car manufacturers and two leading public transport companies. Members include Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG), BMW, Daimler, Ford, GM/Opel, Hamburger Hochbahn, Linde, Shell, StatoilHydro, TOTAL, Toyota, Vattenfall Europe and Volkswagen. Since 2008, the CEP has also received funding from Germany’s National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Innovation Programme (NIP).

SAN DIEGO, CA– California-based ISE Limited’s (TSX: ISE) hybrid-electric fuel cell bus is now in operational service at SunLine Transit — a nationally recognized environmentally conscious public transit agency based in Thousand Palms, CA.

Produced at ISE’s corporate headquarters, the hybrid-electric fuel cell drive system is an identical configuration to the 20 ISE-powered buses that make up the world’s largest zero-emission fleet operated by BC Transit in Canada. The core components of ISE’s hybrid-electric drive system in this bus are lithium-based energy storage, software controls, and robust power electronics. This bus was unveiled at SunLine’s 3^rd Annual State of Public Transit Luncheon on February 19, 2010, which included Vincent Valdes, FTA’s Associate Administrator for Research, Demonstration, and Innovation as the keynote speaker. Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack’s chief of staff, Frank Cullen, filled in for Ms. Mack who was unable to attend the event. The Congresswoman has supported SunLine’s clean alternative fuel initiatives for many years.

Andrew Worley, VP of Program Management at ISE, stated, “Our competitively-priced, Advanced Technology fuel cell bus lowers the barrier to entry for transit agencies that want to take the next step in sustainability with an alternatively fueled hybrid option for under $2 million.”

SunLine Transit Agency General Manager, C. Mikel Oglesby, said, “We are proud to work with ISE in the implementation of the 6^th Generation Fuel Cell bus and look forward to learning more about the technology that will lead to the commercialization of 40′ fuel cell vehicles.”

Alex Bernasconi, Sr. VP of Sales and Marketing at ISE, added, “ISE is thankful to work with SunLine and for the Transit Agency’s role in advancing hydrogen fuel technologies.”

Public funding that made the project possible was provided by the California Air Resources Board, CalStart, the Air Quality Management District, the California Fuel Cell Partnership, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the Federal Transit Administration, and the Department of Transportation. In addition to ISE’s hybrid-electric fuel cell drive system, SunLine’s Advanced Technology fuel cell bus also incorporates a 150kW fuel cell manufactured by Ballard Power Systems and an advanced bus chassis and body manufactured by New Flyer.

About ISE Limited
ISE Limited is a leading developer, manufacturer and distributor of heavy duty hybrid-electric drive systems based on our core proprietary technology, which is focused on three critical subsystems: energy storage, controls software and power electronics. ISE specializes in series hybrid-electric and all-electric/zero emission technologies, and offers industry-leading energy storage systems and hybrid system components. Over the past 10 years, ISE has sold over 300 hybrid-electric drive systems that have demonstrated reliability and performance in over 12 million miles of fleet operation.

Established in 1995, ISE is headquartered in San Diego, California. ISE’s history of innovation and technological leadership has resulted in the design and development of systems and components that deliver superior operating performance. For more information visit www.isecorp.com.

Heavy machinery maker IHI Corp. is teaming up with Boeing Co. to develop fuel cells for aircraft that will help reduce carbon dioxide emissions during flight.

The fuel cells will go into practical use as early as 2016, the companies said. They will be used for onboard power supply and are expected to cut jet fuel consumption used for power generation by about 14 percent.

Onboard electricity is supplied by a generator powered by the jet engine.

When the jet engine’s output rises, such as when the aircraft is flying at high altitudes, extra electricity is generated and water is broken down into hydrogen and oxygen.

The fuel cells will use the hydrogen and oxygen to generate electricity through a chemical reaction when the jet engine’s output falls; for example, when the aircraft descends.

According to Boeing, 93 percent of jet fuel in an aircraft is used for propulsion, with the remainder used to generate power.

UPS Systems’ managing director Tom Sperrey has forecasted significant commercial growth for the UK fuel cell industry.

While countries like Germany, Japan and America have embraced fuel cell technology, the UK has until now lagged behind with high capital costs serving as a major barrier to widespread adoption of fuel cell technology.

However, Tom Sperrey believes the UK fuel cell landscape is to change in the next 12 months as costs fall with new products entering the market.

“2010 is bringing with it a new wave of fuel cell activity. Already new products are launching into the market and companies continue to show interest in learning more about fuel cells and adopting clean technology. We are currently discussing fuel cell system roll-outs with several major corporates and NGOs.

“Under a grant from the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) we are part of a consortium working to develop new technologies that reduce the use of expensive materials in fuel cells. As these developments are rolled out commercially, we expect capital costs to fall and make the technology financially attainable for more businesses.

“Growth hotspots at present are traffic signalling, remote monitoring and security using smaller hydrogen and methanol fuel cells with power ranges between 25W to 150W for prime power and up to 15kW for standby power. Because smaller fuel cells are reliable, durable and portable, they are better suited to these types of applications.

“In these growth hotspots, fuel cells offer extended runtimes, for example, a fuel cell equipped with a 28 litre canister of methanol can easily operate equipment continuously for up to six months without human interference, therefore reducing the costs of manpower, transport and materials costs associated with sending someone to replace batteries on a regular basis.

“Smaller units have the potential to revolutionise the UK fuel cell industry. They are suitable for a range of applications and are proven technology in a growing number of commercial installations. With falling capital costs, and increased savings through lower running and maintenance costs, these smaller units are beginning to achieve widespread adoption across the UK. As capital costs fall, further applications become viable and create greater demand for fuel cells as an alternative and sustainable source of power.”

ORLANDO, Fla. — General Automotive Company (OTCBB:GNAU), a North American provider of aftermarket parts and advanced technology for the automotive industry, today announced a revised joint venture with SenCer Inc. to develop, commercialize and market SenCer’s groundbreaking UltraTemp™ ceramic composite materials for accelerating the development of energy-efficient, environmentally friendly fuel cell technologies. The joint venture, now called Green Cell, Inc., will also advance the development of next-generation oxygen sensors and igniters

A Rochester, NY-based research firm known for its engineering expertise in advanced ceramic systems, SenCer Inc. has developed a series of next-generation ceramic fiber/ceramic matrix composite materials with a wide variety of applications, including fuel cell for powering automotive engines. The goal of the joint venture will be to develop a series of prototypes that will significantly advance the process of commercializing and, ultimately, mass producing fuel cells, oxygen sensors, igniters, as well as other products.

Dan Valladao, president and CEO of General Automotive, said: “This Joint Venture could be a real game changer for many products within the automotive industry including fuel cells, brakes, and oxygen sensors. We are very excited about GreenCell and its extraordinary potential.”

About General Automotive Company

General Automotive Company (”GAC”) is focused on expanding its operating growth platform through multiple and ongoing acquisitions of successful niche manufacturing companies in the automotive industry. Currently General Automotive has 2 operating subsidiaries. OE Source (”OES”) is a provider of original equipment and aftermarket automotive parts and related automotive products. Their customers include large, multi-national distributors, manufacturers, and OEM providers. OES specializes in engine management products such as O2 sensors, which is a rapidly growing and government mandated segment of the auto supply industry. General Automotive is also a partner in GreenCell Inc., a joint venture with SenCer Inc., a New York based ceramic technology company. GreenCell, with its new advanced ceramics proprietary technology, can be a potential game changer in multiple automotive products including oxygen sensors, brakes and SOFC fuel cells for powering automobiles.

Hyundai unveiled its Tucson ix35 Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show , moving another step closer to the commercialization of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles.

As the latest addition to Hyundai’s growing line-up of eco-focused Blue DriveTM vehicles, the Tucson ix35 FCEV incorporates several important innovations over the previous generation Tucson FCEV. And with these improvements, Hyundai is set to meet its goal of ramping up production volume of FCEVs into the thousands by 2012 thereby providing the automotive industry’s ultimate solution to the problem of greenhouse gas emissions and global warming.

Key innovations include:
• Adoption of metallic separators (bipolar plates) in the Hyundai fuel cell stack, the “engine” or core component which generates electricity. Metallic separators replace graphite which is extremely difficult and expensive to manufacture. The metallic separators dramatically reduce the cost of the fuel cell stack and simplify the fuel cell manufacturing process.

• Advances in modularization which simplifies final assembly: Fuel cell engineers at the company’s Eco-Tech Research and Development Center in Mabuk, Korea have succeeded in taking complex arrays of components and combining them into simpler modules, improving production scalability. As a result, the man-hours required to assemble an FCEV have been drastically reduced, making it economically feasible to ramp up production into the thousands.

• Adoption of 21kW LiPoly electrical storage battery in place of super capacitors: LiPoly storage batteries are already in mass production and with the improved economies of scale, LiPoly technology can now be cost-effectively applied to FCEVs thereby lowering their overall cost.

• Adoption of induction motor instead of permanent magnet-type motor for cost benefits. Even with the slight decrease in overall vehicle efficiency associated with induction motors, their use will offset the cost risk associated with magnetic motors which depend on rare earth elements whose prices have soared in recent years because of their scarcity and high demand.

By 2012, Hyundai plans to begin manufacturing FCEVs in the low thousands and delivering them to fleet customers in Korea.

Performance

Max. Speed (km/h) 160
Vehicle range (km) 650
Power Train
Fuel cell
stack Type Hyundai PEMFC
Max. output (kW) 100
Motor Type AC Induction Motor
Max. output (kW) 100
Max. Torque (N•m) 300
Battery Power (kW) 21
Fuel (Compressed Hydrogen gas)
Max. Pressure (MPa) 70
Tank Capacity (kg) 5.6

Brunnthal/Munich, Germany, Nice, France, and Madrid, Spain– On the occasion of SICUR, the International Security Safety & Fire Exhibition in Madrid, Spain, Altec, French specialist for innovative security, surveillance, and fire watch systems, in cooperation with SFC Smart Fuel Cell, leading supplier of fuel cell products for mobile and off-grid power applications based on fuel cells, announces the launch of Altec’s new mobile Sentinelle visual and thermal camera system for demanding fire watch and observation applications. For reliable autonomous operation over weeks, Sentinelle is powered by SFC’s EFOY Pro 2200 fuel cell. The EFOY Pro equipped Sentinelle system will be rolled out internationally to private and public operators of fire watch and surveillance equipment.

When it comes to preventing forest fires or danger and theft at construction sites, fire brigades and operators often face the problem of having to ensure reliable observation for defined periods of time. Many locations, where observation is needed, do not have access to the electric grid, which requires major logistics for exchanging batteries. The mobile Sentinelle camera system can easily be trans-ported to the site of operation. Installation takes only a few minutes. Connected to a central observation station the system is fully remote-operable. Powered by SFC’s EFOY Pro 2200 fuel cell, Sentinelle will work unattended in the field for up to 20 days without requiring any user intervention, compared to only approx. 48 hours when operated by batteries alone. The logistic advantages of a tenfold extension of unattended operating time are enormous.

“Being able to ensure 100 % reliable operation of Sentinelle away from the grid with the EFOY Pro 2200 fuel cell is an important factor for ensuring the broad usability of our new technology in many applications, where security and prevention of danger or theft are critical”, says Eric Martin, Managing Director of Altec. “We start now with forest fire watch and construction and parking site observation, but there are many more areas, where the availability of our mobile, reliable and flexible off-grid camera system with EFOY Pro fuel cell will make a major contribution to more safety.”

“We are excited that Altec, an expert in the development and production of fire watch and surveillance cameras all over Europe, has decided to join the rank of innovative industry leaders using EFOY Pro fuel cells to ensure reliable operation of their equipment away from the grid”, says Dr. Peter Podesser, CEO of SFC Smart Fuel Cell AG. “Our EFOY Pro series is fast becoming an enabling technology in many applications that in the past, due to the limitations of battery power, had been a major logistical nightmare for their operators. EFOY Pro provides a very convenient and at the same time 100% reliable answer to their challenge.”

$30,000 Lemelson-MIT Collegiate Student Prizes Awarded to Inventive Students Nationwide; Four Leading Institutes Celebrate 2010 Winners

Determined to play a key role in solving global dependency on fossil fuels, Javad Rafiee, a doctoral student in the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has developed a new method for storing hydrogen at room temperature.

Rafiee has created a novel form of engineered graphene that exhibits hydrogen storing capacity far exceeding any other known material. For this innovation, which brings the world a step closer to realizing the widespread adoption of clean, abundant hydrogen as a fuel for transportation vehicles, Rafiee is the winner of the 2010 $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Rensselaer Student Prize. He is among the four 2010 $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Collegiate Student Prize winners announced today.

“Invention is the key ingredient of progress, and the Lemelson-MIT Rensselaer Student Prize rallies our students to innovate world-changing solutions for the grand challenges facing all people of all nations,” said Rensselaer President Shirley Ann Jackson. “Javad Rafiee has the vision of a robust national hydrogen economy and a world less dependent on oil and gasoline. I applaud his efforts toward this noble goal, and congratulate him on this prestigious award. I thank all of the Lemelson-MIT Rensselaer Collegiate Student Prize winners and finalists for their effort, zeal, and for being ambassadors of progress.”

Rafiee is the fourth recipient of the Lemelson-MIT Rensselaer Student Prize. The prize, first given in 2007, is awarded annually to a Rensselaer senior or graduate student who has created or improved a product or process, applied a technology in a new way, redesigned a system, or demonstrated remarkable inventiveness in other ways.

“This year’s winners from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, California Institute of Technology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign shine light on the significance of collegiate invention. They have the ability to transform seemingly implausible ideas into reality and are the true entrepreneurial leaders of their generation,” said Joshua Schuler, executive director of the Lemelson-MIT Program.

For videos and photos of the winner and award finalists, as well as a Webcast of the announcement ceremony, please visit: www.eng.rpi.edu/lemelson.

Enabling Greener Transportation with Graphene
Hydrogen storage has proven to be a significant bottleneck to the advancement and proliferation of fuel cell and hydrogen technologies in cars, trucks, and other applications. Rafiee has developed a new method for manufacturing and using graphene, an atom-thick sheet of carbon atoms arranged like a nanoscale chain-link fence, to store hydrogen. His solution is inexpensive and easy to produce.

With adviser and Rensselaer Professor Nikhil Koratkar, Rafiee used a combination of mechanical grinding, plasma treatment, and annealing to engineer the atomic structure of graphene to maximize its hydrogen storage capacity. This new graphene has exhibited a hydrogen storage capacity of 14 percent by weight at room temperature – far exceeding any other known material.

This 14-percent capacity surpasses the U.S. Department of Energy 2015 target of realizing a material with hydrogen storage capacity of 9 percent by weight at room temperature. Rafiee said his graphene is also one of the first known materials to surpass the Department of Energy’s 2010 target of 6 percent.

Rafiee’s graphene exhibits three critical attributes that result in its unique hydrogen storage capacity. The first is high surface area. Graphene’s unique structure, only one atom thick, means that each of its carbon atoms is exposed to the environment and, in turn, to the hydrogen gas. The second attribute is low density. Graphene has one of the highest surface area-per-unit masses in nature, far superior to even carbon nanotubes and fullerenes.

The third attribute is favorable surface chemistry. After oxidizing graphite powder and mechanically grinding the resulting graphite oxide, Rafiee synthesized the graphene by thermal shock followed by annealing and exposure to argon plasma. These treatments play an important role in increasing the binding energy of hydrogen to the graphene surface at room temperature, as hydrogen tends to cluster and layer around carbon atoms.

Talented Engineer
Rafiee joined Rensselaer in 2008, following an internship at the City University of Hong Kong and earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical and manufacturing engineering from the University of Tabriz in Iran. At Rensselaer, Rafiee and his brother, Mohammad, joined the research group of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering Professor Nikhil Koratkar.

“Javad is extremely knowledgeable, has great confidence in his abilities, and has demonstrated a very high level of creativity and originality. However, it is his deep passion and enthusiasm for research and discovery coupled with his amazing drive and energy that differentiates him from his peers,” Koratkar said. “This passion and excitement for discovery and innovation is not something that can be taught or learned. It is an intrinsic quality of an individual – either you have it or you don’t — and Javad is the most intellectually curious student I have ever had the privilege to advise here at Rensselaer.”

In his time at Rensselaer, Rafiee has authored five, and co-authored three, journal papers in various disciplines, ranging from materials science and mechanical engineering, to computer science and urology.

Rafiee is from Tehran, Iran, and expects to earn his doctorate in 2011. Following graduation, he and his brother plan to start their own business with a focus on clean energy and green manufacturing.

Lemelson-MIT Collegiate Student Prizes
In addition to Rafiee’s pioneering work, the other winners of the annual Lemelson-MIT Collegiate Student Prize were announced today at their respective universities:

• Lemelson-MIT Student Prize winner Erez Lieberman-Aiden demonstrated creativity and innovation across several disciplines, most recently with his invention of “Hi-C”, a three-dimensional genome sequencing method that will enable an entirely new understanding of cell state, genetic regulation and disease.
• Lemelson-MIT Caltech Student Prize winner Heather Agnew contributed to the development of an innovative technique that creates inexpensive, stable, highly reliable biochemical compounds that have the potential to replace antibodies used in many standard diagnostic tests.
• Lemelson-MIT Illinois Student Prize winner Jonathan Naber and the Illini Prosthetics Team developed an affordable, durable, extremely functional prosthetic arm for people in underdeveloped countries, made from recycled materials.

ABOUT THE LEMELSON-MIT PROGRAM
celebrating innovation, inspiring youth

The Lemelson-MIT Program recognizes the outstanding inventors and innovators transforming our world, and inspires young people to pursue creative lives and careers through innovation.

Jerome H. Lemelson, one of U.S. history’s most prolific inventors, and his wife, Dorothy, founded the Lemelson-MIT Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1994. It is funded by The Lemelson Foundation and administered by the School of Engineering. The Foundation sparks, sustains, and celebrates innovation and the inventive spirit. It supports projects in the U.S. and developing countries that nurture innovators and unleash invention to advance economic, social, and environmentally sustainable development. To date, The Lemelson Foundation has donated or committed more than U.S. $150 million in support of its mission.

ABOUT THE LEMELSON-MIT RENSSELAER STUDENT PRIZE

The Lemelson-MIT Rensselaer Student Prize is awarded to a student who has demonstrated remarkable inventiveness and innovation.

Funded through a partnership with the Lemelson-MIT Program, the Lemelson-MIT Student Prize has recognized outstanding student inventors at MIT since 1995 (see: http://web.mit.edu/invent/).

A research firm has estimated Japan’s market for fuel cells will expand 99-fold from fiscal 2009 to 1.61 trillion yen in fiscal 2025 due to uptake of the technology for housing and vehicles.

Fuel cell systems for housing will serve as a driving force for the market until fiscal 2018 before the spread of fuel cell vehicles in competition with hybrid gasoline-electric and electric cars, the Fuji-Keizai Group says in a recent survey report.

Fuel cells generate electricity through reactions between hydrogen and oxygen without emitting carbon dioxide and are seen as a promising tool to reduce such emissions.

The market is estimated to expand from 16.3 billion yen in fiscal 2009 ending this month to 99.6 billion yen in fiscal 2015 and exceed 300 billion yen in 2020, supported by growing demand for fuel cell systems for housing.

As the fuel cell vehicle diffusion gains momentum later, fuel cell demand may reach 990 billion yen for automobiles and 507 billion yen for housing in fiscal 2025.

Fuel cells for vehicles and housing may thus account for more than 90 percent of the market in fiscal 2025. The remaining fuel cells may be used for mobile phones and other portable machines.

High costs have so far prevented fuel cell demand from expanding fast. A fuel cell system for housing now costs as much as 3.5 million yen.

”Cost reductions are the key to the full-fledged diffusion of fuel cells,” the research firm says.