Japan's Urban Renaissance Agency (UR), an independent administrative institution, has installed what are reportedly the world's first residential fuel cell co-generation systems in an apartment complex. The systems went into the agency's rental accommodations in Tokyo and Osaka prefectures.

As co-generation systems can generate electricity and heat simultaneously, with higher energy efficiency and lower CO2 emissions than conventional systems, they can help to protect the global environment and reduce utility costs.

In this project, polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) were installed in 43 out of 337 units in the apartment complex, which started accepting its first residents in March 2005. The UR has being researching how to introduce residential fuel cells to apartment complexes since 1999, in cooperation with Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation.



Posted: 2005/04/18 06:38:51 PM
Japanese version

TAG Energy , Global warming , Government , Non-manufacturing industry