Japanese Electronic Giant Fujitsu has got on the road that ends in a greener world. The company has purchased a 200 KW hydrogen fuel cell from UTC that will provide electricity and heat to run the buildings on its campus in California.
The fuel cell provides two different types of energies to the plant. Initially a unit heats methane with steam to create hydrogen that is passed through a proton exchange membrane and produces electricity to power the lights, computers, and other electrical equipment in the facility. Secondly, the hot water generated in the process is cycled through the building to produce heat. Some of the water from the process is vented off because it is too hot for any internal systems in the facility.
The unit cannot be called a completely eco-friendly option for the facility as the processes still result in carbon emissions. However, with this process the greenhouse emissions are just 35% of the normal. That’s about 500 tons of carbon dioxide not emitted a year. The technique will also save about 800K gallons of water a year.
When things might seem to be good, we still have to say that such installations work well only in organizations that work in a 24X7 environment. Fujitsu itself is not able to make the most efficient use of the fuel cell. For now the company’s fuel cell is about 50% efficient when the recaptured heat is added. Fuel Cells can be made about 85% efficient if more heat from the process is captured. Fuel cells can do wonders if all their requirements are met and the waste is made minimum.
Such installations are also aided by utility credits. Pacific Gas & Electricity gave Fujitsu a rebate of $500,000 for installing the system. That means a $2.50 rebate per watt. This is the same amount that homeowners get for installing solar panels. With such subsidies fuel cells pay for themselves in about 3-4 years and have a life time of over 15 years. So the profit is huge for Fujitsu and things can be made much better if the company tries to minimize the waste so that the fuel cell can work at its full potential.
Via: NY Times
