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Provenance: Arturo Herrera
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SUMMARY

In a little more than a year, 34 corporate customers have installed, deployed or purchased more than 250 fuel cell power systems and hundreds of backup power units, totaling more than 30 MW of power, plus more than 1,000 fuel cell-powered forklifts. "The Business Case for Fuel Cells 2011: Energizing America's Top Companies," a report released by Fuel Cells 2000, a non-profit organization based in Washington, DC., profiles 24 new corporate fuel cell customers and revisits 10 companies that have installed or ordered additional systems for several North American locations since last year.

In 2010, Fuel Cells 2000 profiled 38 companies that collectively ordered, deployed or installed 15 MW of stationary power, 1,000 forklifts and 600 backup power units. This new 2011 report includes 22 new customers and 10 companies previously profiled that purchased additional units. Companies leading the charge with fuel cell deployment include:

• Walmart – 6.8 MW at 17 stores; 70+ forklifts
• Coca-Cola – 2.1 MW at four locations; 72 forklifts at two bottling facilities
• Sysco – 500+ forklifts at multiple locations, several hundreds more on order
• Whole Foods – 1.2 MW at four grocery stores, 60+ forklifts

GOALS

Fuel cells can provide clean, efficient power to stationary, portable and motive applications. The technology can help to reduce emissions of greenhouse gas precursors and other polluting emissions, improve energy security, and - when generating stationary power onsite (distributed generation) - can lessen the burden on the power grid.

ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION AND TEACHING MATERIALS

View >> http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2014/03/f12/business_case_fuel_cells_2011.pdf

TEACHING NOTES / CONTEXT FOR USE

A fuel cell is a device that combines hydrogen and oxygen electrochemically, with no combustion, to produce electricity. The only byproducts are heat and water. A fuel cell has a structure similar to a battery, but a battery stores electricity, while a fuel cell generates electricity from fuel. The fuel cell does not run down or require recharging. It will produce energy in the form of electricity and heat as long as fuel is supplied.

Fuel Cell Benefits:

- Increased productivity

- Cost savings via high electrical and overall efficiency

- Fuel flexibility: operation on conventional or renewable fuel

- High quality, reliable power

- Exceptionally low/zero emissions

- Modularity/scalability/ flexible installation

- Not dependent on the power grid

- Silent operation

- Lightweight

- Rugged

- Can be used with or instead of batteries and diesel generators

- Can partner with solar, wind, and other renewable technologies

ASSESSMENT

At the discretion of the educator.

REFERENCES AND RESOURCES

The report was written by the staff of Fuel Cells 2000, a program of the Breakthrough Technologies Institute.

SHORT DESCRIPTION

"The Business Case for Fuel Cells 2011: Energizing America's Top Companies," a report released by Fuel Cells 2000, a non-profit organization based in Washington, DC., profiles 24 new corporate fuel cell customers and revisits 10 companies that have installed or ordered additional systems for several North American locations since last year.