Stacking Up

This article reviews that efficiency on a small scale and a means of curbing emissions make fuel cells an investment for the future. The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund put up the $1.25 million to purchase the fuel cell-power plant from a local company, Fuel Cell Energy Inc., in Danbury. The motive for funding fuel cells goes beyond boosting for local industry, though. As pressures mount on available resources and the environment, fuel cell systems can play a major role in the future of stationary and mobile power generation. Many adherents believe that fuel cell systems promise to provide benefits in a variety of applications. Systems based on PEM and direct methanol technology promise to make power more portable and convenient, and proton exchange membrane (PEM) technology also promises to provide a more efficient, cleaner technology for the automotive industry. PEM, phosphoric acid, molten carbonate, and solid oxide fuel cells are likely to be applied in cogeneration applications that use the exhaust heat.