Tokyo Gas Co. has plans to start marketing a residential fuel cell co-generation system that will be the nation's first commercial application of fuel cell technology for home use. The company is preparing to launch the system in or around March 2005.

It will include a generator incorporating an approximately one-kilowatt compact fuel cell, and a hot-water tank to recover exhaust heat emitted during electricity generation. This co-generation system can replace existing water heaters and satisfy the household's demand for hot water using recovered heat from the fuel cell.

Since the system is fueled by hydrogen extracted from methane in city gas (i.e. natural gas), it can be directly connected to city gas pipes already serving households.

Because it achieves 70 to 80 percent total energy efficiency through power generation and exhaust heat recovery, this co-generation system can reduce primary energy consumption by about 26 percent and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by about 40 percent compared to systems presently in use. These numbers prove that the new system is environment-friendly. It is also economical as gas and electricity costs are combined and reduced.

Although Tokyo Gas has yet to decide on its marketing strategy, the system will be leased rather than sold due to its high price. The company expects that the system will come into extensive use starting in about 2010.




Posted: 2004/06/15 02:56:40 PM
Japanese version

TAG Eco-product/Business , Energy , Global warming , Non-manufacturing industry