Energy resources hydrogen fuel cells

An important partnership that is also a model of what will be needed to introduce hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is the California Fuel Cell Partnership (CaFCP). This partnership, headquartered in West Sacramento, was organized under the leadership of the California Air Resources Board in 1999. Its membership initially included oil and auto companies, but has expanded to include other energy suppliers, transit agencies, and other government agencies (including the DOE). In 2003, the partnership was renewed for another 4 years. 

The choice of a renewable energy source to power a hydrogen fuel cell system will depend on the geography, climate and other resources of the location. I have chosen photovoltaics as the example power source for hydrogen production because it is available to more people than either geothermal, wind, or tidal. For a person without much technical skill, solar power is easier to implement than wind power. It is also less costly up front and not as dependent on location as the other RE power sources... 

Hydrogen-enriched natural gas buses are expected to meet the California Air Resources Board s transit emissions requirements. They also pave the way for a hydrogen infrastructure that can support fuel cells for transportation. The use of hydrogen powered buses and infrastructure facilities conforms with the goals of the California Fuel Cell Partnership, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

Figure 15.2. Estimated primary energy use and resources needed to produce hydrogen for 100 million fuel-cell vehicles in the United States. The biomass resource is assumed to be 800 million tonnes of biomass per year, and the wind resource is assumed to be 11000 TWh of electricity per year.

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