About Us

Join Now

Policy & Regulations

Newsroom

Resources

Contact

Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy

Fuel Cell Basics

Hydrogen Energy

Applications

“The Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Industries in Ohio are on the verge of considerable success. One piece of the puzzle that will help push us over the top is a united voice for the fuel cell and hydrogen industries. The FCHEA provides Ohio, the rest of the country—and the Industry-- with that voice through advocacy, support and a united front.”

Patrick Valente,
Executive Director,
Ohio Fuel Cell Coalition
“Now, more than ever, the fuel cell and hydrogen energy industries need to speak in one powerful voice. FCHEA's efforts have been exceptional in creating a compelling platform to advance industry initiatives on Capitol Hill and within the States”

Shannon Baxter-Clemmons
PhD, Executive Director,
South Carolina Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Alliance
“By providing clean, efficient and continuous base-load energy for buildings and enabling zero-emission transportation, fuel cells have become a proven and crucial component of the clean energy network. We are extremely grateful for the important work FCHEA is doing to raise the profile of these game-changing energy technologies for the marketplace, policy makers, key decision-makers and the general public.”

Mike Brown
Vice President,Government Affairs, and General Counsel,
UTC Power
"FCHEA's efforts are providing great help in moving Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles to a new level of market acceptance in a way one individual automaker could not."

Stephen Ellis,
American Honda
"FCHEA brings a strong, united voice about fuel cells and hydrogen to a national audience. We look forward to working closely with FCHEA staff and members to advance the commercialization of fuel cells in the United States."

Catherine Dunwoody,
Executive Director,
California Fuel Cell Partnership
"FCHEA is an important conduit for informing and educating government leaders and the public about the impact hydrogen is making today as well as significant technology advances, and hydrogen’s role in solving the clean energy issue for all future generations."

Ed Kiczek
Global Business Director,
Hydrogen Energy Systems at Air Products
“Plug Power greatly appreciates the importance of FCHEA in advancing hydrogen fuel cell solutions in commercial applications. It is the visionary collaboration of the partnership that provides a strong foundation for today’s advanced technology to prove out value, viability and reliability in key markets. Industry pioneers, like FCHEA, will ensure a path to a future that includes hydrogen and fuel cells as core to the clean energy network”

Andy Marsh
CEO
Plug Power
"Solar and wind are good technologies, but they do not address the total customer need for continuous power as fuel cells and hydrogen energy do . Many customers require a more dependable base-load, energy efficient solution that works around the clock, and in a smaller footprint. ClearEdge Power fuel cells provide exactly that solution, and the FCHEA helps us to inform and educate customers and policymakers about the many benefits of fuel cells and hydrogen energy."

Russel Ford
President & CEO
ClearEdge Power

Stationary

Stationary fuel cells are the biggest fuel cell systems available today. They range in power from hundreds of watts to multiple megawatts and power everything from remote telecom towers to large office complexes. Stationary fuel cells are often powered by natural gas or biogas at facilities dealing with organic waste steams.

Stationary fuel cells offer a number of advantages over competing power sources. One such advantage is that fuel cells produce exceedingly reliable, high quality power. This is important for many types of business users. Natural variance in voltage from the grid can damage sensitive electronic equipment. US businesses lose $29 billion annually from computer damage due to power outages. This is why many data centers have ditched grid power and invested in fuel cell systems, which can be up to 99.9999% reliable. That translates to roughly one minute of downtime in a six year span. Since fuel cell systems keep running during power outages, they also eliminate the need for backup generators.

Stationary fuel cell systems do not require transmission lines because they are located on site. This is one reason they are so reliable. Power generation at the site of consumption is called distributed generation. Distributed generation eliminates dependence on power lines and the 7-10% electrical losses that occur during power transmission. This makes the efficiency gap between traditional combustion power plants (around 30% efficient) and fuel cells (45-65% efficient, 80%+ for CHP systems) even more significant.

Combined heat and power (CHP) stationary systems provide heating and cooling in addition to electricity. These systems are ideal for residential installations, hotels, and businesses like grocery stores with sizable demand for both refrigeration and electricity. Thousands of micro-CHP systems for single households have been deployed in Japan and are beginning to see commercialization in the U.S. A typical 1 kW residential fuel cell is roughly the size of a small refrigerator. These units produce no sound, minimal emissions, and run on the natural gas lines already connected to most houses. In many places, residential fuel cells are already saving consumers money on their electric and heating bills.

For more information on Stationary Fuel Cell Applications, see our Fact Sheets below:

Stationary Fuel Cell Fact Sheet

SOFC Fact Sheet

Backup Power Fuel Cells Fact Sheet