Stationary Fuel Cell Systems Analysis

NREL's technology validation team analyzes the performance of stationary fuel cell systems operating in real-world conditions and reports on the technology's performance, progress, and challenges.

This analysis includes multiple fuel cell types—proton exchange membrane, solid oxide, phosphoric acid, and molten carbonate—with system sizes ranging from 5 kW to 2.8 MW.

Stationary fuel cell systems are used for backup power (see related analysis results), power for for remote locations, stand-alone power plants for towns and cities, distributed generation for buildings, and co-generation (in which excess thermal energy from electricity generation is used for heat). Systems are currently in operation in states across the nation. One of the leading markets is in California, where NREL works in partnership with the National Fuel Cell Research Center and the California Stationary Fuel Cell Collaborative to analyze and report on stationary fuel cell installations.

Participating partners share raw data with NREL via the National Fuel Cell Technology Evaluation Center. NREL engineers perform uniform analyses on the detailed data and then report on their findings. While the raw data are secured by NREL to protect proprietary information, individualized data analysis results are provided as detailed data products to the partners who supplied the data. The results are also aggregated into publicly available composite data products (CDPs) that show the status and progress of the technology, but don't identify individual companies.

Publications

These publications provide more information about NREL's stationary fuel cell analysis activities and capabilities.

Stationary Fuel Cell Evaluation: 2016 Annual Merit Review, Genevieve Saur, Jennifer Kurtz, Chris Ainscough, Sam Sprik, and Matt Post, Presented at the 2016 DOE Annual Merit Review Meeting (June 2016)

Transportation Big Data: Unbiased Analysis and Tools to Inform Sustainable Transportation Decisions, NREL Fact Sheet (June 2016)

Hydrogen and Fuel Cells for IT Equipment, Jennifer Kurtz, Presented at The Green Grid Forum (March 2016)

Stationary Fuel Cell Evaluation: 2015 Annual Progress Report, Genevieve Saur, Jennifer Kurtz, Chris Ainscough, and Sam Sprik, Excerpt from the 2015 DOE Annual Progress Report (December 2015)

Stationary Fuel Cell System Composite Data Products: Data through Quarter 3 of 2015, Genevieve Saur, Jennifer Kurtz, Chris Ainscough, Sam Sprik, and Matt Post (December 2015)

Stationary Fuel Cell Evaluation: 2015 Annual Merit Review, Genevieve Saur, Jennifer Kurtz, Chris Ainscough, and Sam Sprik, Presented at the 2015 DOE Annual Merit Review Meeting (June 2015)

Stationary Fuel Cell Systems Analysis Project: Partnership Opportunities, NREL Fact Sheet (June 2015)

Stationary Fuel Cell System Composite Data Products: Data through Quarter 4 of 2014, Genevieve Saur, Jennifer Kurtz, Chris Ainscough, Sam Sprik, and Matt Post (April 2015)

Stationary Fuel Cell Evaluation: 2014 Annual Progress Report, Genevieve Saur, Jennifer Kurtz, Chris Ainscough, and Mike Peters, Excerpt from the 2014 DOE Annual Progress Report (November 2014)

Stationary Fuel Cell Evaluation: 2014 Annual Merit Review, Genevieve Saur, Jennifer Kurtz, Chris Ainscough, and Michael Peters, Presented at the 2014 DOE Annual Merit Review meeting (June 2014)

Enlarging Potential National Penetration for Stationary Fuel Cells Through System Design Optimization, Genevieve Saur, Chris Ainscough, Jen Kurtz, Sam Sprik, and Matt Post, Presented at the 2014 DOE Annual Merit Review meeting (June 2014)

Stationary Fuel Cell System Composite Data Products: Data through Quarter 4 of 2013, Genevieve Saur, Jennifer Kurtz, Chris Ainscough, and Michael Peters (May 2014)

Stationary Fuel Cell Evaluation: 2013 Annual Progress Report, Chris Ainscough and Genevieve Saur, Excerpt from the 2013 DOE Annual Progress Report (December 2013)

Stationary Fuel Cell System Composite Data Products: Data through Quarter 2 of 2013, Chris Ainscough, Jennifer Kurtz, Michael Peters, and Genevieve Saur (November 2013)

Evaluation of Stationary Fuel Cell Deployments, Costs, and Fuels, Keith Wipke, Presented at the Fuel Cell Seminar (October 2013)

Modeling and Optimization of Commercial Buildings and Stationary Fuel Cell, Keith Wipke, Presented at the Fuel Cell Seminar (October 2013)

National Fuel Cell Technology Evaluation Center, NREL Fact Sheet (September 2013)

Stationary Fuel Cell Evaluation: 2013 Annual Merit Review, Chris Ainscough, Jennifer Kurtz, Genevieve Saur, and Sam Sprik, Presented at the 2013 DOE Annual Merit Review Meeting (May 2013)

Stationary Fuel Cell System Composite Data Products: Data through Quarter 4 of 2012, Chris Ainscough, Jennifer Kurtz, and Genevieve Saur (May 2013)

Contacts

If you are interested in working with NREL's National Fuel Cell Technology Evaluation Center, please contact NREL's Technology Validation Team at techval@nrel.gov.

For more information about NREL's stationary fuel cell systems analysis, contact Genevieve Saur.