Without a shadow of a doubt, fuel cell technology is the way to go for the future and it is going to take over every aspect of our life in the years to come. It is not only taking over the auto world, but it is also making quite an impact in the domestic world. Now companies are making sure that they integrate this technology makes the way in to our homes in the space of less than a decade and that would actually serve us for centuries to come. Now that fuel cell technology is all ready to power your homes and it will do that with amazing efficiency and clean simplicity.
Matsushita Electric Industrial has announced that it will develop its existing domestic fuel cell technology to be released in the year 2010. Panasonic’s PEFC (polymer electrolyte fuel cell) technology for home use can reportedly run for 4,000 start-stop cycles and for 40,000 hours, which is equivalent to a 10-year lifespan. The company has been testing its PEFC since 2005, but it’d take a while before it’s released to the public. If this new technology does indeed materialize, it holds immense promise for clean energy in the future. With the adoption of a new inverter, as well as the incorporation of numerous improvements, the product can display 39 percent efficiency, which is, according to Panasonic, the highest in the market among its kind.
The 39 percent efficiency has a steady output of 750W, although it could really be anywhere between 500W and 1kW. Panasonic envisages its PEFC to be used in conjunction with other types of energy sources. The aim is for the PEFC to be used for 22 percent of the total household energy consumption. And since the only by-products of the PEFC are heat and water, that would mean a 12 percent carbon emission reduction. Matsushita expects to sell 3,000 to 5,000 units by 2010, and 60,000 to 100,000 units by 2015. Considering that even the heat produced by the fuel cell is useful for the further production of energy, the technology is the best thing that could hit our homes since the times when electricity made its grand welcome.
