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Title: A Total Cost of Ownership Model for Low Temperature PEM Fuel Cells in Combined Heat and Power and Backup Power Applications

Abstract

A total cost of ownership model is described for low temperature proton exchange membrane stationary fuel cell systems for combined heat and power (CHP) applications from 1-250kW and backup power applications from 1-50kW. System designs and functional specifications for these two applications were developed across the range of system power levels. Bottom-up cost estimates were made for balance of plant costs, and detailed direct cost estimates for key fuel cell stack components were derived using design-for-manufacturing-and-assembly techniques. The development of high throughput, automated processes achieving high yield are projected to reduce the cost for fuel cell stacks to the $300/kW level at an annual production volume of 100 MW. Several promising combinations of building types and geographical location in the U.S. were identified for installation of fuel cell CHP systems based on the LBNL modelling tool DER CAM. Life-cycle modelling and externality assessment were done for hotels and hospitals. Reduced electricity demand charges, heating credits and carbon credits can reduce the effective cost of electricity ($/kWhe) by 26-44percent in locations such as Minneapolis, where high carbon intensity electricity from the grid is displaces by a fuel cell system operating on reformate fuel. This project extends the scope of existing costmore » studies to include externalities and ancillary financial benefits and thus provides a more comprehensive picture of fuel cell system benefits, consistent with a policy and incentive environment that increasingly values these ancillary benefits. The project provides a critical, new modelling capacity and should aid a broad range of policy makers in assessing the integrated costs and benefits of fuel cell systems versus other distributed generation technologies.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
Environmental Energy Technologies Division
OSTI Identifier:
1163271
Report Number(s):
LBNL-6772E
DOE Contract Number:  
DE-AC02-05CH11231
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 08 HYDROGEN; fuel cells, cogeneration, distributed generation, low temperature PEM, total cost of ownership, backup power

Citation Formats

University of California, Berkeley, Wei, Max, Lipman, Timothy, Mayyas, Ahmad, Chien, Joshua, Chan, Shuk Han, Gosselin, David, Breunig, Hanna, Stadler, Michael, McKone, Thomas, Beattie, Paul, Chong, Patricia, Colella, Whitney, and James, Brian. A Total Cost of Ownership Model for Low Temperature PEM Fuel Cells in Combined Heat and Power and Backup Power Applications. United States: N. p., 2014. Web. doi:10.2172/1163271.
University of California, Berkeley, Wei, Max, Lipman, Timothy, Mayyas, Ahmad, Chien, Joshua, Chan, Shuk Han, Gosselin, David, Breunig, Hanna, Stadler, Michael, McKone, Thomas, Beattie, Paul, Chong, Patricia, Colella, Whitney, & James, Brian. A Total Cost of Ownership Model for Low Temperature PEM Fuel Cells in Combined Heat and Power and Backup Power Applications. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1163271
University of California, Berkeley, Wei, Max, Lipman, Timothy, Mayyas, Ahmad, Chien, Joshua, Chan, Shuk Han, Gosselin, David, Breunig, Hanna, Stadler, Michael, McKone, Thomas, Beattie, Paul, Chong, Patricia, Colella, Whitney, and James, Brian. 2014. "A Total Cost of Ownership Model for Low Temperature PEM Fuel Cells in Combined Heat and Power and Backup Power Applications". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1163271. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1163271.
@article{osti_1163271,
title = {A Total Cost of Ownership Model for Low Temperature PEM Fuel Cells in Combined Heat and Power and Backup Power Applications},
author = {University of California, Berkeley and Wei, Max and Lipman, Timothy and Mayyas, Ahmad and Chien, Joshua and Chan, Shuk Han and Gosselin, David and Breunig, Hanna and Stadler, Michael and McKone, Thomas and Beattie, Paul and Chong, Patricia and Colella, Whitney and James, Brian},
abstractNote = {A total cost of ownership model is described for low temperature proton exchange membrane stationary fuel cell systems for combined heat and power (CHP) applications from 1-250kW and backup power applications from 1-50kW. System designs and functional specifications for these two applications were developed across the range of system power levels. Bottom-up cost estimates were made for balance of plant costs, and detailed direct cost estimates for key fuel cell stack components were derived using design-for-manufacturing-and-assembly techniques. The development of high throughput, automated processes achieving high yield are projected to reduce the cost for fuel cell stacks to the $300/kW level at an annual production volume of 100 MW. Several promising combinations of building types and geographical location in the U.S. were identified for installation of fuel cell CHP systems based on the LBNL modelling tool DER CAM. Life-cycle modelling and externality assessment were done for hotels and hospitals. Reduced electricity demand charges, heating credits and carbon credits can reduce the effective cost of electricity ($/kWhe) by 26-44percent in locations such as Minneapolis, where high carbon intensity electricity from the grid is displaces by a fuel cell system operating on reformate fuel. This project extends the scope of existing cost studies to include externalities and ancillary financial benefits and thus provides a more comprehensive picture of fuel cell system benefits, consistent with a policy and incentive environment that increasingly values these ancillary benefits. The project provides a critical, new modelling capacity and should aid a broad range of policy makers in assessing the integrated costs and benefits of fuel cell systems versus other distributed generation technologies.},
doi = {10.2172/1163271},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1163271}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Jun 23 00:00:00 EDT 2014},
month = {Mon Jun 23 00:00:00 EDT 2014}
}