Evaluating Fuel Cells for Residential and Commercial Micro-CHP (mCHP) Systems for On-site Power

GTI Energy is performing a project with funding from Utilization Technology Development, NFP and the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) to assess residential- and commercial-scale fuel cell systems less than 50kW for use in North American markets. A micro-CHP (mCHP) system will be selected and evaluated to assess its ability to achieve high electrical efficiencies and near zero emission levels at reduced costs using natural gas.

Fuel cells can offer advantages in mCHP applications. Natural gas can be used to generate hydrogen, which is then used in a fuel cell to generate electricity. Using natural gas and propane in self-powered mCHP systems will help to ensure resiliency and reliability of heating and power supply with high up-time, while using the fuels in an environmentally responsible way.

Hydrogen can also be produced from renewable sources or electricity from the grid, and when the resulting pure hydrogen is used, the only byproduct is heat and water. As hydrogen blending becomes more prevalent, fuel cells could be an important technology to serve hydrogen-rich on-site power applications.