Fuel Cell to be Tested for Home Use

The New Energy Foundation, an organization affiliated with Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, will conduct large-scale demonstration tests to verify the technical feasibility of fuel cells for commercial application at homes and stores. The tests, originally started in 2002 in cooperation with private companies, will collect data for three years from polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) with a capacity of 1 or 5 kW installed under various conditions in homes and stores.

While the auto industry has forged ahead in the development of fuel cells, it is expected that the PEFC will be marketed as a power source for households and stores. The PEFC is relatively simple to operate, and supplies electricity and hot water through low-emission cogeneration. The tests are designed to clarify technological problems.

The original tests were conducted in 2002 at twelve sites, including Tokyo and Osaka. In 2003, with the cooperation of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. and ten other private firms, the PEFC system will be installed at 31 locations across Japan, including the Hokuriku, Tohoku, and Hokkaido regions, where winter gets cold and hot water is in great demand.


Posted: 2003/09/27 11:51:50 AM
Japanese version