NEW CLEAN ENERGY SYSTEMS FOR RESIDENCES AND BUSINESSES: CCSE HOLDS WORKSHOPS ON FUEL CELL TECHNOLOGY

February 20, 2010 (San Diego ) - “San Diegans can learn about a new fuel cell technology for home and business applications that supplies clean base and load power 24/7, while reducing grid dependence and lowering carbon dioxide emissions, “ says Chuck Colgan, public relations representative for the California Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE). CCSE is hosting two workshops on fuel cell technologies on Monday, March 8th.

Fuel cells have been widely used for self-generated energy in industry for many years, but scaling the technology to fit homes and smaller businesses has been a challenge. These presentations introduce one of the first clean-energy fuel cells for generating electricity and heat for large homes and a variety of business applications.

A workshop on fuel cells for businesses will be held from 1-4:30 p.m., followed by a workshop on fuel cells for residential use from 6- 8 p.m. on March 8th. Both programs will be held at CCSE, 8690 Balboa Ave., Suite 100, San Diego 92123 in the Kearny Mesa area.

The workshops will provide detailed explanations of fuel cell technology, its applications and advantages, rebates available, and case studies of homes and business installations. A display model of a five-kilowatt, refrigerator-sized fuel cell manufactured by ClearEdge Power or Oregon, will also be included.

A fuel cell of this size could supply most or all of the electrical needs for a typical family even during peak electrical demand periods,” Amador said. “Fuel cells are already powering hundreds of different applications, from large factories to cell phone towers, and now this clean energy source is available for wider application."

The ClearEdge5 fuel cell is a combined energy system that converts natural gas or propane into both electricity and heat. There are three basic components of the fuel cell. A processor chemically converts the gas into hydrogen, which is fed into the fuel cell stack where it creates direct current ( DC) power and heat. An inverter system converts the DC electricity into alternating current ( AC) while the heat produced is ran through a heat exchanger that supplies heating for water and building space. The intent of the ClearEdge5 is to provide base and load power 24/7, reducing grid dependece and lowering CO2 emissions.

Admission to the programs is free. Register at www.energycenter.org/fuelcells. For more information, call (858)244-1177 or visit www.energycenter.org.

The California Center for Sustainable Energy is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) dedicated to fostering public policy and programs to facilitate the adoption of clean, reliable, sustainable and efficient energy technologies and practices. For more information on CCSE programs, rebates and services, please visit www.energycenter.org or call 1-866-SDENERGY.