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Fuel Cell Heating: Key Technology for the Heating Industry on the Road to Success

By October 31, 2019 4   min read  (611 words)

October 31, 2019 |

Fuel Cell Heaters2

In the Climate Protection Program 2030, the Federal Cabinet has taken a closer look at the heating market.

The Federal Government hopes to achieve high CO2 savings in particular from the heat exchange, which it intends to use financially in the future. The contribution that fuel cell heating can make to a faster turnaround in heat was discussed by representatives from politics and business at the “Innovation Forum Hydrogen & Fuel Cell” on October 29, 2019, in Frankfurt / Main.

“At last, politics is focusing on the largest energy sector in Germany, the heating market. For the success of the energy turnaround, a warming change is also urgently needed, because the sector offers the highest CO2 reduction potential. These must urgently be lifted, “says Andreas Lücke, spokesman for the Fuel Cell Initiative (IBZ) and Chief Executive Officer of the Federation of the German Heating Industry (BDH), as part of the event. Around 6 out of 10 heating systems in Germany are outdated and therefore work inefficiently. At the same time, the Federal Government defines ambitious goals for the building sector. By 2030, CO2 emissions are to be reduced from 119 million tons per year to 72 million tons per year. “If politics wants to reach this goal, then the modernization quota must be doubled,” said Lücke.

“With fuel cell heating, there is already a technology on the market that ensures high levels of climate protection, both in new buildings and in existing buildings,” explains Dr. med. Timm Kehler, spokesman for the IBZ and chairman of the industry initiative Zukunft ERDGAS. The fuel cell, as the most efficient way of generating heat and power, plays a key role in the energy transition, which at the same time protects the climate: in comparison to an old gas heating system, almost 70 percent of CO2 is saved; In addition, energy costs will fall by around two-thirds. In the stock it offers another decisive advantage: Elaborate building renovations are not necessary with her, there are only the investment costs.

More and more households, therefore, rely on key technology. Since the start of KfW’s 433 “Fuel Cell Grant” program in the summer of 2016, 8,933 grant applications have been approved up to and including September 2019, as shown by the latest figures from the Federal Ministry of Economics. In the current year, 3,405 applications with a volume of almost 47 million euros have already been received – 30 percent more than in the same period of the previous year. Manufacturers, therefore, expect demand to continue rising and have already introduced two new models in 2019, which, among other things, enable higher performance and better internet connections. Another device should follow at the end of the year. In addition, a new supplier has entered the market this year.

“Due to the increasing variety of products, the high-tech device is increasingly adapting to individual consumer needs. Whether in existing or new buildings, whether single or multi-family house – the future fits into every boiler room, “emphasizes Kehler. Another advantage: While the fuel cell still generates hydrogen from natural gas today, tomorrow it can already be operated directly with hydrogen from the gas network. “Fuel cell heating thus has the potential to become the game-changer of the heat cycle. It allows everyone to enter the hydrogen age, “says Kehler.

About the Fuel Cell Initiative 
Initiative is committed to anchoring efficiency technology in the heating market. The initiative is supported by the Federal Association of the German Heating Industry (BDH) and the industry initiative Zukunft ERDGAS. The German Gas and Water Association (DVGW) and the National Organization for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NOW GmbH) are supporting IBZ as a cooperation partner.

Source: NOW

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