photo: UTC Power
Google (GOOG) has its 1.6-megawatt solar array and Applied Materials (AMAT) is following suit with an even bigger solar installation at its Silicon Valley headquarters. Not to be left behind in the greening of the valley sweepstakes, Fujitsu says it has become the first SV company to power its operations with a fuel-cell generator (photo at above). The Japanese computer maker today is unveiling a 200-kilowatt fuel-cell at its Sunnyvale campus that it says produces half the carbon dioxide of a conventional power plant. The generator, made by UTC Power (UTX), reforms natural gas to produce hydrogen which is then used to generate electricity. Besides emitting far less greenhouse gases than a fossil-fuel power plant, fuel-cell generators do not produce pollutants like nitrous oxide and sulfur oxide. The fuel-cell will provide half the power needed to cool the Sunnyvale campus’s data center. The hot water generated by the fuel-cell in turn will be used for heating. The project won Fujitsu a $500,000 incentive payment from utility PG&E (PCG). Fun fact: The UTC fuel-cell generator can be hooked up to a wastewater treatment plant and an anaerobic digester to tap methane gas from what we’ll politely call effluent to produce hydrogen.
Fujitsu’s Hydrogen-Powered Silicon Valley Campus
August 17, 2007 by Todd Woody
Green Wombat 
Does anyone know what sort of efficiency this device achieves?
In theory hydrogen fuel cells can achieve ~80% efficiency, and part of that energy inefficiency is waste heat, so if you recover some of that heat for building hot water and heating needs the actual efficiency can be quite high.
to use biogas produced for anaerobic digestion you typically have to scrub and compress so it’s not like you just stick a hose in there and call it good. Anybody know what temp the waste heat loop is for these fuel cells?
..still though this is cool and props to Applied Materials for this…
We applaud PG&E for being one the best IOU in Renewable Energy Procurement. However, despite these folks who speak against.
In due respect to all piers, inclusive thereof Brent, Geomark, et al, please note of the followings:
We cannot disclose trade secrets, however can elaborate (considering the facts that our copyrights and pending registration patents are in place) on the “Supper System” to be implemented by Solar MW Energy, Inc.
Also, we applaud Mr. Todd Woody, for his viable comments. (There was a wrong link to one of our affiliate, however did not apply to our affiliate. It was another person/entity, who did not like PG&E.
Please note, that we strongly believe that PG&E is the leader in the procurement of Renewable Energy, as well as one of the best utility (IOU)
The “Supper System”:
(Please note that the Copyright Laws protects the “Entire design system embodied into one mass”, and Patents covers “Individual Components”)
– Parabolic trough technology was invented around 1860 by Mr. Mouchot, (Copyright has expired some 62 years ago), implemented in a utility scale by LUZ, over a decade and half ago, as weal as the “Dish-Tower” (some decade ago) implemented by Stirling.
– In 2005, two inventors(confidential names) perfected the tried-and-true parabolic trough technology’s design of Mr. Mouchet, that was utilized by SEGS over a decade and half ago and subsequently and recently by Nevada Solar One, (not a LUZ II / BrightSource – they have another (own system of one of the best functional design) including few small pilot projects in between (also known as Concentrated Solar Power CSP), as follows:
+ Instead of one parabola collector (mirrors), will utilize “Twin Parabolic Collectors” (mirrors), which do not break (designed to withstand over 80 mph wind force and up to 7.6 earthquake magnitude, on single gear axis.
Said Twin Parabolic Collectors (TPC) are of rigid structural integrity thermoplastic mirrors (manufactured in China – confidential Mfgs).
(Can assemble this super pre-assembled system in less than 3 months per 100 MW solar plant, at total costs mfg+assembly of less than 1.5 cents of levelized costs)
+ The Twin Parabolic Collectors are not mounted on “labor intensive and costly aluminum space frame. Instead, such are mounted on Super Rigid Thermoplastic Structural Integrity System. (Again, manufactured in China – confidential Mfgs.) Can also assemble this super pre-assembled system, in 3 months for costs of less than 1 cent of levelized costs)
+ Instead of single pipe receivers (pipe in glass (vacuum) pipe, the Super System will utilize “Twin Parabolic Receivers – one for each of the Twin Parabolic Collectors, designed to be a bent in parabolic shape carbon steel tube, primed with best carbon coating (trade secret coating), which will heat the Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF) to over 400 degree Celsius. These receivers do not brake, nor leak. A Clamp system (can remove one only without the rest in series) with Super Connection System – Triplex Leg Tube-Pipe System.
+ It is a know fact that the solar alone capacity factor may not exceed 33%, even in Zone 9 Solar Iradiaion, being where the solar plants will be. (Just a hint – in the Mojave Desert, close to the Kramer Substation, Kramer Junction, Cluster 7, CAISO Zone SP-15).
Therefore, that is why the second tube in the twin parabolic collector’s system is implemented, to collect the HTF during sunlight and directly go to the storage of the MS (underground -trade secret system) Storage Tanks (Hot & Cold), to be utilized during off-peak (7 hours duration), increasing the capacity factor by 29%, to a cumulative for the solar field of up to 62%.
+ Renewable Portfolio Standards for California allows up to 25% use of natural gas-assist system for Qualifying Facility (QF) under PURPA. Such QF’s receive another substantial incentive – called Production Credit (dollar amount per mWh is confidential to disclose).
+ Utilizing the “Super Combined Cycle System” (SCCS), that includes Wartsila reciprocating natural gas-fired engines from Finland, each at Nominal 8.2 MW, which uses only 1 gallon/h of water and have Oxidation Catalyst / Ultra Low Emission System (near-zero pollution), the capacity factor is improved by another 24%, to a cumulative of 86% capacity factor.
+ The hot exhaust plumes from the Wartsila’s engines, instead of going to be wasted and released to the air, are re-directed to: System 1 to the MS Hot Underground Storage Tank, and System 2 to the Waste Heat Recovery System (WHRS), thus increasing the capacity factor by another 11%, to an aggregate of 97% capacity factor.
This Supper System can be integrated, and can be supper-peak, base load and/or anything in between, and the plant can start in less than 9 minutes and develop for less than 9.2 cents levelized costs, with insignificant O&M’s costs.
With the carbon fiasco, fossil fuel plant will soon reach 10 cents levelized costs, and therefore not only the IOUs will be thrilled, but the ratepayers, when such Super System Solar Thermal Hybrid Powers Plants – Utility Scale are develop and operational.
And the sooner, the better, if the Financial Community also accept, at least 101 Educational Course. Some already see the “Green Base Load – Production Incentive Driven Fix Income” and are questioning……….
This Supper System of the two inventors falls under the Copyrights Laws, construed as “Design Embodied Into one Mass System”
Did I read this right, 200 KW for $500,000.00., that’s $2500 per KW, Enron’s power was cheaper than this!!!!!!!
Troy
“Did I read this right, 200 KW for $500,000.00., that’s $2500 per KW, Enron’s power was cheaper than this!!!!!!!
Troy”
Doesn’t seem so bad considering it’s distributed generation.
How about $4000/kw for solar trough…or $1400/kw for an LM6000 peaker in California.
No Todd I don’t think you read it correctly. I read it as an incentive payment and not the cost of the unit – which I’m guessing is far more???
Ian
“The project won Fujitsu a $500,000 incentive payment”
According to PG&E, “Fujitsu America earned a $500,000 incentive from PG&E for this fuel cell project.”
Does it minimize the pollution in Sunnyvale at the same time save energy?