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New Fuel Cell Technology
updated: Sep 19, 2012, 2:41 PM
Source: University of California Santa Barbara
UC Santa Barbara is now host to a unique new energy
system that is providing electricity as part of the university's commitment to energy
efficiency and sustainability. The new 200-kilowatt Bloom Energy Server is directly
connected to Southern California Edison's electric distribution system.
"UC Santa Barbara is a leader in advanced energy efficiency research," said
David McHale, UCSB's associate director of Utility and Energy Services in Facilities
Management. "Developing next-generation materials and technologies that will power
our future is a point of pride for UCSB, and the partnership with Southern California
Edison and Bloom Energy to install a 200-kilowatt fuel cell on campus provides an
opportunity to evaluate an emerging power generation technology."
The Bloom Energy Server produces clean, reliable, and affordable electricity on-
site. The system utilizes a unique fuel cell technology, which converts fuel into electricity
via an electro-chemical process, without any combustion or harmful, smog-forming
particulates.
The new server generates power 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is expected
to produce more than 1.75 million kilowatt hours annually, enough to power about 160
average U.S. homes. The system is extremely efficient, cutting carbon emissions by
almost 30 percent, nearly eliminating nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide pollution, and
producing electricity using 99.99 percent less water than an average power plant.
"Effective energy management has always been a high priority for UCSB," said
McHale. "It is critically important to manage the campus's energy consumption while
attaining and maintaining the quality of programs and research for which the university is
known. We are proud our students will carry on the conservation measures they have
learned here out into the world."
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