California Center for Sustainable Energy

New energy system for home and business

One of the first clean-energy fuel cells for generating electricity and heat for large homes, businesses and institutions will be featured at two workshops at CCSE on Monday, March 8. A workshop for business owners will be held at from 1:00 to 4:30 p.m., and a workshop for homeowners will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Stationary Fuel Cells Free Workshop at CCSE:

For Commercial & Institutions (March 8th, 2010 1:00pm to 4:30pm) REGISTER

For Residential (March 8th, 2010 6:00pm to 8:00pm) REGISTER

Fuel cells have been widely used for self-generated energy in industry for many years, but scaling the technology to fit homes and smaller businesses has been a challenge, according to Ryan Amador, an energy program manager at CCSE. The workshop will focus on a five- kilowatt, refrigerator-sized fuel cell manufactured by ClearEdge Power, a Hillsboro, Oregon-based company.

"A fuel cell of this size could supply most or all of the electrical needs for a typical family even during peak electrical demand periods,” Amador said. “Fuel cells are already powering hundreds of different applications, from large factories to cell phone towers, and now this clean energy source is available for wider application."

The ClearEdge5 fuel cell is a combined energy system that converts natural gas or propane into both electricity and heat. There are three basic components of the fuel cell. A processor chemically converts the gas into hydrogen, which is fed into the fuel cell stack where it creates direct current ( DC) power and heat. An inverter system converts the DC electricity into alternating current ( AC) while the heat produced is ran through a heat exchanger that supplies heating for water and building space. The intent of the ClearEdge5 is to provide base and load power 24/7, reducing grid dependece and lowering CO₂ emissions.

According to Amador, the ClearEdge5 is eligible for substantial incentives and rebates from the California Self-Generation Incentive Program and federal tax credits that significantly reduce the system costs.

The workshops will introduce fuel cell technology, discuss its applications and advantages, cover available rebates and provide case studies of ClearEdge5 installations. A model of the system that shows its internal workings and other information will be on display.