International Utility Consortium Begins Tests on Fuel Cell System for Home Heat & Power
Consortium of major utilities in UK, Germany, France, the
Netherlands and Canada plans in-home field trials in 2010
WESTWOOD, Mass.--(Business Wire)--
Fuel cell developer Acumentrics Corporation and European heating
appliance market leader Merloni Termosanitari (MTS) Group have formed
a consortium with major European and North American utilities to
demonstrate and field trial a residential solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC)
micro combined heat and power (mCHP) system.
Six leading utilities -- British Gas (Centrica), EnBW, GDF SUEZ,
EON, Kiwa Gas Technology (representing Dutch gas trading company
GasTerra) and ENMAX Green Power Inc., a subsidiary of ENMAX Energy
Corporation, have joined a consortium to test and demonstrate
Acumentrics tubular SOFC-based mCHP systems. Several other
organizations are expected to join before the end of the year.
The system -- the first fully enclosed residential CHP unit -- is
designed to meet the power and heating needs of an average-size
European home using a 1 kilowatt tubular solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC)
in combination with a 24 kilowatt condensing boiler, operating on
natural gas. Acumentrics and MTS demonstrated the system to potential
utility partners at the ELCO facility in Hechingen last October.
To support the introduction of SOFC mCHP technology into the
market, Acumentrics, MTS and the utilities have designed a laboratory
and field trial program to evaluate the reliability and performance of
the technology. Utilities participating in the consortium will fine
tune the product through the final stages of market introduction in a
three-phase program including shared lab demonstration, on-site
evaluation at consortium member sites, and initial field trials at
their customer sites.
"Our objectives in designing this program are to allow potential
partners to observe first-hand the reliability, operating flexibility,
rapid start time and energy efficiency of our tubular SOFC-based mCHP
systems and to provide them with the confidence to proceed to field
trials of the systems," said Gary Simon, Acumentrics' President and
CEO. "This program provides an extremely cost effective way to get
hands-on experience with a technology that is sure to revolutionize
home energy systems. Our tubular systems have significant advantages
over the flat-plate systems in conventional SOFCs."
In addition to saving the average homeowner hundreds of Euros
annually, Simon said, the units can meter excess electricity back to
the grid, and in the longer term, could be connected to solar or wind
power for hybrid electricity. Acumentrics' CHP units have passed
initial qualification in Japan as safe for home heating-and-power use,
and testing has begun at the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST) to develop US standards for SOFCs.
"There is a tremendous demand for energy efficient technologies in
Europe," said Heinz Freese, Team Manager, Kiwa Gas Technology. "In
order to accelerate market adoption of these novel technologies the
Netherlands plans to provide around EUR 100Million in mCHP subsidies
over the next 10 years. Participating in this novel, collaborative
program will accelerate our testing process and allow our partners to
proceed to field trials in the next two years," he added.
About MTS Group
The MTS Group is a leading international company in the heating
and water heating sector. In 2007 the Group recorded sales totaling
about EUR 1.2 billion; 7.1 million pieces were manufactured in 24
production units located in 10 countries; it has 7,200 employees and
44 subsidiaries in 24 countries and a sales network which covers over
150 countries. The Group offers a complete range of products, systems
and services mainly under the brands Ariston, Chaffoteaux & Maury and
Elco. The Group demonstrates its commitment to energy efficiency
issues through significant investments in renewable energies and in
the development of sophisticated energy saving products.
About Acumentrics
Acumentrics Corporation (http://www.acumentrics.com/) is an
industry leader in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) systems. Acumentrics'
industry leading SOFC technology is based on a unique, durable,
fuel-flexible, tubular ceramics-based technology and has exceeded
performance standards in U.S. Department of Energy Solid-State Energy
Conversion Alliance (SECA) Phase I tests. Acumentrics' SOFC systems
have run for over 10,000 hours, have demonstrated the ability to
operate for 1,000 hours on conventional JP-8 fuel and became the first
biogas-fueled SOFC system in an installation at the innovative
GlashusEtt environmental information center in Stockholm. Acumentrics
is the recipient of a 2007 New England Innovation Award from the
Smaller Business Association of New England. The company also provides
Rugged Uninterruptible Power Supplies (Rugged-UPS(TM)) for military
and industrial power conditioning, backup, and other mission critical
applications. Acumentrics' Rugged-UPS(TM) products are trusted in
punishing environments with over 50,000 units deployed in military and
industrial situations.
Acumentrics Corporation
Gary Allen, 613-545 1111
gallen@acumentrics.com
Copyright Business Wire 2008
