San Diego – June 7, 2010. nuMeridian, the San Diego based Fuel Cell brokerage and marketing firm, recently sold NASA an H-200 fuel cell for electronic control research at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX. In recent months, NASA purchased three, H-200 – 200 watt proton exchange membrane fuel cell stacks.

Fuel Cells have been used by NASA since the Apollo missions and continue to be an important source of power on today’s Space Shuttles. Future spacecraft will almost certainly use fuel cells to help provide power and heat for tomorrow’s interstellar vehicles.

These fuel cell stacks are similar to the type used in hydrogen vehicles being developed by Honda, Ford, BMW and others. The stacks are air-breathing, air-cooled and self-humidified making them simple and easily integrated into custom design applications.

The H-series PEM fuel cell stacks are ideal for research environments where simplicity is key. H-series fuel cells are the most compact, light-weight and cost effective PEM fuel cells on the market. They are readily available in power outputs ranging from 12 Watts up to 5000 Watts and in custom configurations as requested.

For more information on H-series fuel cell stacks please contact Kyle Stewart
kyle@horizonfuelcell.com for details.

About nuMeridian –

Founded in 2009 and based in San Diego, CA nuMeridian is dedicated to providing our clients with world class services for sales, marketing and distribution for fuel cell related technologies.

Fuel cell manufacturers interested in learning more about how nuMeridian can help promote your fuel cell products can find more information at www.numeridian.com.

Media Inquiries:

Contact Kyle Stewart
Phone: 619-630-7303

Email: media@numeridian.com

Radio controlled vehicles are a global multi-billion dollar phenomenon involving specialized clubs, racing events, magazines, and a great variety of models and spare parts that can be purchased at model hobby stores. Built to look like real cars, boats or planes, these fast and technically sophisticated machines are no toys. They are built from the ground up by engineering enthusiasts of all ages, and are typically powered by high performance batteries, miniature combustion engines, miniaturized jet engines, and now – hydrogen fuel cells!

The H-CELL 2.0 is a hobby-scale replica of the zero emission hydrogen cars being developed by the world’s leading car manufacturers. Using an electronic control box (provided in the H‐CELL 2.0 kit) the fuel cell power kit is hybridized with a typical hobby‐grade battery in order to optimize power and energy. The battery provides the acceleration power, while the fuel cell provides cruise power as well as extra energy for the battery. This decreases the amount of batteries needed, eliminates the need to charge batteries, and provides much longer run times for the vehicle (by a factor of 3 to 4!).

Unveiled in February, the H-CELL 2.0 is now a completed, packaged product shipping to clients worldwide.

While the scientists and engineers at Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies continue to develop real scale applications of the technology into the future, commercialization has already begun in smaller-scale applications, including toys, hand held electronics, portable generators, and recreational power devices. The new H-cell 2.0 fuel cell power kit for model scale RC vehicles is being introduced to global hobby enthusiasts this year, starting in Europe with the upcoming June 17 “Mondial du Modelisme” in Paris (Hall 3 / Booth E5) and debuting in America

About Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies:

Thinking big, yet starting small, Horizon pioneered the sales of next-generation fuel cell power products in small consumer products, while developing larger-scale clean power solutions for practical applications in portable remote power, light-duty transportation and aerospace-defense. With comprehensive technological developments focused on enabling the commercialization of fuel cells Horizon is the first company to bring advanced fuel cell technology out of the laboratories and into the mainstream market. For more information, visit http://www.horizonfuelcell.com.

Run on biogas made from landfill waste, the Bloom Box fuel cell is cheaper than grid power, cleaner than grid power, and perhaps most importantly, is finally available.  Throughout this 8 year, ultra-secretive, project Bloom Energy has received $400 million in funding from the same venture capitalists who funded Google and Amazon.

The Bloom Box is ideal for large businesses that want to save money on power bills and significantly reduce their carbon footprint.  Every business, predictably, wants both of these things.  Google was the first company to try out the Bloom Box.  20 other large companies including Fed Ex, Wal Mart, Staples, and Ebay have since followed suit.

For the last 9 months Ebay has created 15% of its electricity with 5 Bloom Box’s that sit, silently, on the campus lawn.  How have they performed so far?

“Its been very successful, they do what they said they would do,” said John Donahoe, CEO of Ebay.  In fact, the Bloom Box has saved Ebay more than $100,000 on electricity costs in the last 9 months, while cutting natural gas usage in half.

In comparison, the 3000 solar panels blanketing the rooftops of Ebay’s buildings create 5 times less power than Bloom Energy’s fuel cell system, which require almost no space at all.  This begs the question: how good is fuel cell technology?

Fuel cell technology is very good.  It has the ability to create clean, off-the-grid, power for applications as small as the iPhone or as large as the Freedom Towers.  No combustion is required and the fuel cell can be powered from a variety of different fuels.  These benefits have a lot of people excited.  One such person is John Doerr, the venture capitalist who discovered Google (and subsequently turned a $25 million investment into market capitalization of over $108 billion).

“New energy technologies could be the largest economic opportunity of the 21st century,” said Doerr.  Kleiner Perkins, the Silicon Valley venture capital firm who invested in Bloom Energy, was not shy or stingy when it came to signing checks.

$400 million have been made available for Bloom Energy thus far.  It is clear that executives and investors have kept the big picture in mind throughout the project. The long-term goal is to have a Bloom Box in every home (at a cost of $3000) within the next 5 to 10 years.

Although Bloom Energy has been the most hyped and heavily funded company, they are certainly not the only ones making breakthroughs in fuel cell technology.  Over 100 clean-tech companies are rumored to be involved in the race to the market, with ClearEdge Power and Bloom Energy leading the charge.

ClearEdge Power went public with their fuel cell, the ClearEdge5, about 5 months ago.  It has not received nearly as much attention as the Bloom Box, but is equally if not more impressive.  Ideal for large homes and small to medium sized businesses, the ClearEdge5 runs on natural gas and provides enough electricity and heat to eliminate the need for grid power.  The CE5 is currently available in California and is already saving home and business owners large sums of money.

It looks like fuel cell technology has finally stepped out of the shadows and into the spotlight.  These “power-plant-in-a-box fuel cell things” have perplexed people for years, deemed as complicated, unrealistic, and at times, too good to be true.

Well, so did the microwave oven, the cell phone and the laptop.

The ClearEdge5 succeeds where outdated methods have failed, generating both heat and electricity simultaneously.  The fuel cell is powered by natural gas that is reformed, rather than burned, to create hydrogen. The hydrogen is then fed through the fuel cell and energy is created. This combined heat and power (CHP) system, made possible by a hydrogen fuel cell, results in very little waste energy and boasts peak efficiencies of around 90%. The refrigerator-sized unit connects to the utility grid using standard fittings, and easily integrates with the existing electrical systems.

If for some reason all of the electricity produced is not utilized, the excess will be sent to the grid, and then credited back to the customer. In the event of a power outage, the ClearEdge5 automatically switches to grid-independent mode creating instantaneous back-up power. Owners of the CE5 can expect savings of up to 50% off of each months utility bill.

The ideal customer for the ClearEdge5 uses 43,800 kw/hours of power per year (equates to approximately $1,000 per month utility bill) or more and has a substantial heating demand (radiant flooring, pool, spa, etc). Homes measuring in at over 5,000 square feet with a pool/spa would qualify for the CE5, while almost any small or large business would fit the requirements.

The ClearEdge5 carries an initial price tag of $50,000, although customers will pay much less.  Commercial customers in California, for example, will pay less than half of that for the 5kw unit.  The Self Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) provides $2.50/watt for fuel cell equipment; that translates into a $12,500 rebate check for each unit installed within qualified areas (initially limited to California). An Investment Tax Credit(ITC) is also available. This credit is allowed to be subtracted, dollar for dollar, from total federal tax liability. Businesses qualify for a 30% rebate ($15,000) and homes qualify for a $5,000 rebate. With the price tag now down to $22,500, California business owners can expect a 100% return on investment in as little as 3 years. Not bad for a system that has a 5 year warranty and boasts an expected lifetime of 20 years.

Another option for California residents is to receive a renewable energy loan for the ClearEdge5. California’s AB 811 program, in effect since July, 2008 allows property owners to finance the installation of renewable energy systems and incorporate it into their property tax payment. This means that home and business owners can spread out the cost of an alternative energy system, like the CE5, over a 20 year period. Since the amount of money saved on each months utility bills will be considerably higher than the loan payment, the AB 811 program is essentially putting cash directly into the pockets of California property owners.

California residents looking to save money/go green have a choice between the ClearEdge5 or a solar panel system.  The most obvious advantage that the ClearEdge5 has over solar power is that fuel cell technology does not depend on the weather.  Solar panels, in comparison, need direct sunlight to be productive. For example: California averages 5.5 hours a day of usable sunlight in any given year.  This means a 5kw solar system (similarly priced to the CE5) will produce about 10 MW/hrs of power over the year. The ClearEdge 5, using a steam reformer to turn natural gas into hydrogen, will produce 43 MW/hrs of electricity and up to 90 MW/hr of combined heat and electricity. This means that the ClearEdge5 produces more than 4 times as much electricity as a similarly sized solar power system and generates enough heat for your home, pool/spa, and water demands.   The ClearEdge5 can be installed indoors or outdoors in almost part of the country (although sales are initially limited to California).

The rise of fuel cell technology has begun to turn some heads, and the benefits of the ClearEdge5 certainly speak for themselves.  Commercial and residential customers have been offered the unique opportunity go green and save green at the same time.  It looks like the wait is finally over- fuel cell technology has officially arrived on the consumer market.

BC Transit, headquartered in Victoria, British Columbia, raised US$84 million for the project. Funding was provided by federal government of Canada ($45 million), the provincial ministry ($10 million), and BC transit ($34 million).

Each 40-foot bus will come equipped with 37 seats and a 60-person standing capacity. With a top speed of 90 (56 mph) km per hour these low-floor buses with 6 hydrogen tanks atop the roof will look and act similarly to a “normal bus,” with a few improvements, of course. These futuristic buses are twice as efficient as their internal combustion grandparents and produce no smog-creating emissions; only water will exit the tail pipe. Passengers will notice a smooth ride and no engine noise as it pulls away from the curb.

Each bus is powered by a 150-kilowatt(FCvelocity(TV)-HD6) hydrogen fuel cell manufactured by Ballard Power Systems. The cell is fueled with compressed hydrogen that is stored at up to 5,000 psi in six hydrogen cylinders on the roof.

“The fuel-cell buses will be stationed in a new, state-of-the-art facility in Whistler that will include hydrogen-safe maintenance bays and fueling infrastructure allowing for fast filling of the vehicles targeting 10 minutes,” said Tavin Tyler, director of ISE’s fuel cell bus programs. When the bus needs to stop, braking resistors reduce brake pad maintenance, improve handling, and aid in heating capacity for passenger comfort. The electronics are controlled by the latest ISE hybrid energy management system which handles power flow between the fuel cell, energy storage and the drive motors.

In order to match the specifications of a traditional bus, the hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles were thoroughly tested to ensure performance. The buses achieved a vehicle range of approximately 500km and an acceleration of zero to 50 kmph in less than 20 seconds. Since they will be operating in mountainous terrain, the fuel-cell vehicles were tested to handle an eight-percent constant grade and a 20 percent grade from a stand-still. In order to simulate overnight weather conditions in Whistler, the vehicles underwent overnight cold chamber soaks and performance driving at -20 degrees Celsius. There are no formalized codes yet for hydrogen vehicles, but the buses met Canadian road worthiness standards.

At an individual cost of $2.1 million, each hydrogen fuel-cell bus runs about four times the cost of a conventional diesel bus, a price that has already dropped from $5 million just a few years ago. “It’s now probably dropped, at volumes of 20 or more, to below $2 million. It’s still quite expensive, but it is getting into the area where more agencies want to bring in a few vehicles and start promoting that volume to bring the price down even further,” ISE Corp. CEO Rick Sandler explained.

Total funding of $84 million covers capital and operating costs until March, 2014. Life cycle costs will be evaluated over the next few years to determine if fuel cell buses will be put into service in other regions.

The development of this hydrogen bus fleet demonstrates British Columbia’s commitment to fuel cell technologies, and is just part of the Province’s overall plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 33% by 2020. This fleet alone will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1800 tonnes per year in BC and will showcase cutting-edge fuel cell technology to the world.

Our team arrived a few minutes early and as we took our seats in the back of the presentation room and glanced around at our fellow renewable energy enthusiasts,we were a bit surprised that the average age in the room was 55 plus and there were only four women in a sea of men.

As a recent college graduate and founder of nuMeridian, I can understand that the average college student does not want to spend their Wednesday night in Kearny Mesa. But is there no one out there under 30 in the alternative energy industry? Is my generation apathetic to the exciting potential of solar power and wind generation? Or am I the only 25 year old that stays awake at night thinking about how to overcome the challenges of inconsistent power availability and peak load response? I admit it, I am an alternative energy geek, but it would be great to see more young professionals and new grads like myself at these meetings.

While the Copenhagen Energy talks go on this week, and get mired in political posturing, my generation needs to take action. Our generation, the Gen-Energy generation, can’t afford to wait for old fashioned politics to catch up to emerging technology that could solve our energy needs by the time we are gray in the temples.

I digress. So, back to SDG&E. Rob Anderson, Director of Resource Planning, was the speaker for the day and he began his presentation by discussing the new challenges of two-way energy-flow versus the traditional one-way flow of energy from the power plant to your home and then to wherever wasted energy goes to die. The two-way model incorporates new distributed power generation technologies, i.e. rooftop solar, which goes from your home back out to the grid so that it can be used up by someone else. This type of technology has been going on for years for home owners with solar panels that essentially run electric meters backwards. This is old school new energy technology.

Today, the possibilities are more dynamic. Now anyone can have solar, geothermal, wind and fuel cells all providing power on site and trading excess energy back to the grid to finance the overhead costs and loans. All of these new energy sources will be the only way for San Diego County to reach its mandated energy production levels by 33% by 2020. SDG&E has developed six guidelines for how to reach these goals.

Everyone Needs Energy Efficiency

The first is energy efficiency to reduce the overall consumption of electricity in San Diego county. This includes, efficient lighting, proper home insulation and encouraging the purchase of energy efficient appliances. SDG&E has spent more than $485 million on energy efficiency awareness programs, which have saved more than 2.9 million megawatts (MW) hours and mitigated the need for up to five additional power plants..

Where is the Demand?

Second on the SDG list is depend response and encouraging home owners to reduce their energy use during high-demand times. Power need in San Diego tends to peak after 4 PM and SDG&E would like home owners to run their dish washers and laundry machines in the morning or late at night. This will reduce the number of peak load power plants that need to be online in anticipation of the high demand.

Peak load plants are a concept I had not heard of until Anderson’s discussion. There are several power plants in San Diego County designated as “peak load power plants,” most of which are powered by natural gas. At certain times during the day, such as in the morning and early afternoon, home use of electrical appliances peaks and additional power is needed. Peak load power plants sit idle at their minimum and most inefficient level, waiting for these spikes in power consumption to appear. Anderson talked about how to shift the load demand to a more stable power curve to keep these plants offline, which can save energy and reducing carbon emissions.

Show me the Solar Power

The third piece of the SDG&E planning guidelines is to build more renewable energy power plants to bring total renewable energy electrical production to 33% of the total by 2020. Currently renewable energy sources provide 11% of the total power used in San Diego county. Forecasts for 2015 put renewable energy production at 26% and well on its way to 33% by 2020.

Distribute it and They Will Come

The fourth thing Anderson discussed was distributed generation methods to build small power plants that can power homes and businesses in proximity to the plant. Options for these types of plants include installing solar panels on the roofs of large buildings or turning parking lots into a solar covered garage. Opportunities are available for land owners and business owners to contact SDG&E and offer their land or building space for renewable energy projects. See The 2009 Renewable RFO page for PPA options.

More People More Power

While 100% renewable energy is the end goal, new power plants must still be built to meet the current and expanding demand for electricity. New power plants which use the latest in natural gas technology will be built to ensure that San Diegans have enough power to run the latest tech gadgets. San Diego is ever expanding and it is more and more difficult to build power plants near the places where people need power.

The sixth planning guide addresses this problem. Investments are being made in new transmission infrastructure to bring power from renewable energy sources to San Diego. The Imperial Valley has a high potential for solar and wind power generation but getting the energy to where it is needed is a difficult task. Say hello to the Sunrise Power Link. A 120-mile long stretch of above ground and underground transmission lines to bring renewable energy power to San Diego residents. The $1.9 Billion projects promises to bring an additional 1000 MW of capacity to the San Diego power grid and intends to spend more than $680 million inside of southern California and 90% of the budget is to be spent inside the US.

SDG&E has made the commitment to stay ahead of government mandated requirements for renewable energy production. Their plan is comprehensive and makes use of the most economically feasible options available at the time. While I would love to see more up and coming professionals in the audience at these meetings, I am impressed with the work they are doing and hope they continue to drive renewable energy forward. The next meeting is on January 13th, 2010, I hope to see more people my age attending.