Fuel Cells-On Site Power Generation

Georgia's first residential fuel cell was installed on June 27, 2002

Who

Flint Energies is the exclusive utility dealer for the GE\Plug Power fuel cell in 100 counties in middle and South Georgia. Ocmulgee EMC has signed an agreement with Flint Energies to market and sell Fuel Cells in our service territory. For dealers distributors in other areas, keep checking the GE website.

When

General Electric has delivered the first demo stand-alone fuel cell to Flint Energies in Warner Robins,m Georgia at its location on Highway 96. It runs on natural gas. We expect fuel cell units for the retail market after 2006-2008.

Where

GE Microgen has no plans to test in private homes. When a dealer/distributor is identified for your state or area, please contact them directly and inform them of your interest.

GE has told us that a pre-commercial unit will be available to be installed at one of the offices of Flint Energies in 2002. It will be a grid parallel operating unit. The test site has already been selected and we do not plan to install any pre-commercial units in individual homes.

How Much

We do not have a projected price at this time.

Life Cycle

GE projects the life of the initial fuel cell unit to be 15 years.

How Clean

The units produce clean power. (No spikes or voltage fluctuations)
The units are clean, producing very low emissions.

• Nox ‹ 1ppm
• Sox ‹ 1ppm

They are virtually noise free. They produce no noticeable smell. The power and heat are produced by chemical reaction. There is no combustion.

Specs

Exhaust temp 220 degrees F
Natural gas efficiency would be 36% at 2kw and 29% at 7kw
LP gas efficiency would be 34% at 2kw and 27% at 7kw

The second-generation model will capture the waste heat for domestic water heating which will double the efficiency.

First and second generation models will have:

• 5kw continuous output
• 10kw output for 30 minutes (battery assist for short overloads)
• 15kw output for 0.5 seconds (battery assist for motor starts, inrush current)

Third generation models will have 35kw capacity.

A fuel cell is a very simple unit. It can be compared to an UPS (Uninterruptible Power Source) or a large battery that never runs down as long as fuel is present. It takes a hydrocarbon fuel and strips the hydrogen out; leaving only carbon dioxide that is vented out. This hydrogen then goes into the fuel cell stack. Through a chemical process the proton in the hydrogen goes through a membrane and the electron is captured on a conductor and creates a direct current flow. This direct current then goes into an inverter, which changes the DC current into AC current, which is used in the home. The proton, which goes through the membrane, combines with oxygen in the air to form water and heat, the fuel cell's byproducts.

There are several different fuel cell technologies. The one we are using is called PEM. This stands for Proton Exchange Membrane.

A water line will have to be run to the unit. The reformer needs a small amount of water to work. Second generation models will have a closed loop system to reuse the water generated by the chemical reaction.

A power line will need to be run from a disconnect below the customer's meter to a transfer switch at the unit. A power line will need to be run from the unit to the customer's panel.

Disclaimer

These statements are speculative based on current information and subject to change. They do not represent a promise of accuracy either written or implied.