Waste-free fuel cells to be tested in Autauga County
Copyright 2000, Montgomery Advertiser, Ala.
Saturday, March 25, 2000
By Christie Sellers, Montgomery Advertiser, Ala.
For some it may seem like a distant, futuristic dream. But the ability to supply a home's electrical needs efficiently and without harm to the environment is here.
Researchers have been working for years to develop an improved fuel cell apparatus that converts hydrogen from natural gas or propane into electricity. The time has arrived for their prototypes to be tested in the real world. And one of their 39 locations will be in Autauga County.
Members of the Central Alabama Electric Cooperative a new version of the fuel cell will be tested in Autauga County for its potential for use in homes and businesses across the country.
"This certainly is good news," said Clyde Chambliss, an engineer with the cooperative and a member of a committee helping to develop the new technology. "This certainly is not a new technology, but it is an evolving one, and it's great that we can be a part of it."
According to Chambliss, the machine, which looks much like an outdoor air conditioning unit, will arrive this fall.
"We have not selected a home where it will be tested yet," Chambliss said. "We're waiting for the requirements and the fuel cell to come first."
Chambliss said strict requirements about the potential test site's electricity needs and availability to natural gas and/or propane will play a big part in the selection process.
The fuel cell will be hooked up to a home, and possibly a business in Autauga County for testing. Special monitors on the cell will allow researchers and engineers with the cooperative to study how efficient the fuel cell is and if it meets the demands of the average household.
The manufacturer of the fuel cells, H-Power Corporation, plans to put the first fuel cells on the market by the summer of 2001.
But Chambliss said testing of the first models will continue for several years to improve efficiency and advance the technology further.
"I think this has a great future," said Millbrook Mayor Al Kelley. Homes in Millbrook and rural parts of Elmore County are serviced by the cooperative.
"There are more and more people moving to the rural parts of our county," he said. "This could play a larger role in helping to bring people out to the outlying areas."
The fuel cell would serve as a cost-effective alternative to traditional power lines when they are too costly to install in outlying areas.