Heating and Cooling Energy - Hydrogen and Fuel Cells: Advances in Transportation and Power - page 219

a cogeneration unit can be used as a heat pump source, with electricity
from the unit powering the heat pumps. If some of the electricity generat-
ed is used for space heating, the system can be downsized by about 1/3. If
the electricity is used to power water source heat pumps, an even smaller
system is required.
Cogeneration equipment must be safely connected to the utility grid.
Utilities have objected to independent power generation by arguing that
safety hazards can exist for their workers if independent systems continue
to operate during system-wide blackouts. Such problems can be avoided
by the installation of appropriate, standard safety equipment at the cogen-
eration site.
A cogeneration system may use different fuels including natural gas,
residual fuel oil, heating oil, diesel fuel and gasoline. Alternate fuel sourc-
es also include coal liquids or wood gas.
COGENERATION WITH FUEL CELLS
As stationary fuel cells reduce their costs with continuing R&D, they
will be able to compete with other small- to medium-sized power genera-
tion sources for on-site generation, particularly cogeneration for factories
and commercial buildings. The installed cost for fuel cell generation sys-
tems is expected to reach $800/kW.
Many studies indicate a large potential. A 2000 study for the DOE's
Energy Information Administration found that the total power needs for
combined heat and power (CHP) at commercial and institutional facilities
was 75,000-MW. Almost two thirds of these required systems of less than
1-MW.
These systems are a good match for fuel cell generation. The remain-
ing power needs in the industrial sector are almost 90,000-MW. This does
not include heat-driven chillers or systems below 100-kW.
Ceres Power has designed and built an integrated, wall-mountable
combined heat and power unit (CHP). The integrated CHP Unit is capable
of generating electricity and all of the central heating and hot water re-
quirements of a typical home, avoiding the need for a separate boiler. The
CHP Unit uses the same natural gas, water and electricity connections as
a boiler, and is thus easy to install.
Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited (CFCL) and E.ON U.K. have agreed to
develop a fuel cell combined heat and power (CHP) unit that can be fitted