# Presentation: 248961

## EPA Programs Supporting Fuel Cell Implementation

*Phil Wirdzek*
* **presenting for Tom Kerr*
*Energy Supply and Industry Branch*
*U.S. Environmental Protection Agency*

## Overview

- Environment and energy nexus
- EPA clean energy goals
- EPA CHP/DG activities
- Coordination with distributed generation industry

## Energy/Environment Nexus

- Concerns about power reliability
- Concerns about energy security
- Concerns about air pollution and climate change
- Policy responses:
- White House, Congressional efforts to draft national energy strategy
- multipollutant cap for electric sector
- EPA’s voluntary programs

## EPA’s Messages

- We can break the link between rising energy demand and air pollution
- Reliable, efficient energy supply and a clean environment go hand-in-hand
- Technologies and policies are available today

## US GHG EmissionsTop 10 Sources (1998, Carbon Equivalent Basis)

**US GHG Emissions**Top 10 Sources (1998, Carbon Equivalent Basis)

## How to Reduce CO2 from the Energy Sector?

- Energy efficiency (Energy STAR)
- Reduced demand for energy
- Clean, efficient energy supply:
- combined heat and power
- other clean distributed generation
- renewable energy
- cleaner fossil fuel technologies

## EPA’s CHP/DG Team

- Focus:  promote high-efficiency, low emitting technologies
- Primary message:  combined heat and power should be used wherever possible

## NOx Emissions of DG Technologies

**System**

**Efficiency**

**NOx Emissions**

** ****(LHV)**

**(gm/bhp-hr)**

** ****(gm/kW-hr)**

**(lbs/MWhr)**

** ****(ppm)**

**(lbs/mmBtu input)**

- Diesel Engine

- 0.45

- 4.5

- 6.0

- 13.3

- 405

- 1.75

- Lean Burn Nat Gas Engine

- 0.42

- 1.8

- 2.4

- 5.3

- 151

- 0.65

- Lean Burn Nat Gas Engine

- 0.4

- 0.6

- 0.8

- 1.8

- 48

- 0.21

- Stoic Nat Gas Engine w/TWC

- 0.35

- 0.15

- 0.20

- 0.44

- 11

- 0.05

- Microturbine

- 0.3

- 0.2

- 0.3

- 0.74

- 15

- 0.06

- Microturbine

- 0.3

- 0.15

- 0.20

- 0.44

- 9

- 0.04

**Source:  Onsite Sycom presentation**

## Electrical Efficiencies of DG Technologies

**Source:  Onsite Sycom presentation**

## The Impact of CHP on Efficiency

**The Impact of CHP on Efficiency**

***Combined heat and power systems sequentially produce electricity and thermal energy***

**10***** (Losses)***

**Power station fuel (120)**

**80 (*****Losses)***

- Electricity

- Electricity

**CHP**
**fuel**

- Heat

**40**

**40**

- Heat

**Boiler fuel (50)**

**GRID**
**(33%)**

**BOILER**
**(80%)**

**CHP**
**(80%)**

**20 *****(Losses)***

**Separate Heat and**_** Power (47%)**_

_**Combined Heat and Power (80%)**_

## EPA’s CHP/DG Strategy

- Where can EPA best leverage the market?
- Small- to medium-sized projects (1-100 MW)
- Baseload power/thermal demand
- Replacing coal- or oil-fired industrial boilers
- Emerging power quality markets
- 174 GW potential nationally @ over 5,000 boilers

## Barriers/Solutions

- Barriers to CHP:
- high utility buy-back/standby rates
- permitting/siting issues
- lack of knowledge of cost savings/environmental benefits
- Solutions:
- pilot with distribution utility credits
- permitting guidance/streamlining
- targeted outreach program

## CHP/DG Team Activities

- Spring 2001:  launch CHP Partnership Program in TX, IL
- Outreach strategy:
- convene stakeholder group
- identify electric grid constraints
- identify candidate CHP hosts
- calculate power and emissions benefits from proposed CHP conversions
- work with partners to overcome barriers to develop and implement CHP projects

## Working with DG Industry

- Technology focus:
- improved data on emissions and performance of DG technologies
- data center/power quality initiative
- Energy STAR label for small packaged units
- Air quality focus:
- regulation development in TX, CA, Northeast states
- education on output-based standards
- air quality & reliability interaction

## EPA’s SOFC Project

- Demonstration project at EPA’s Environmental Science Center in Fort Meade, MD
- Partnership with DOE, Siemens Westinghouse, and others
- Planned as the largest SOFC in operation, producing 1MW of power

**Schematic of Fort Meade SOFC**

## EPA SOFC Project, cont’d

- Project benefits
- Extremely low air pollutant emissions
- Extremely low greenhouse gas emissions
- 60 percent electrical efficiency
- Flexibility meeting power demands
- Can run on renewable resources
- Project cost
- $24 million

## EPA’s Natural Gas Fuel Cell

- At Ann Arbor, MI, NVFEL Laboratory
- Generates 200 kW of power and provides hot water for domestic use
- Provides baseload power and emergency backup

**Natural gas fuel cell in Ann Arbor, MI**

## Electricity Consumption in Ann Arbor, MI

**Source: Energy 2001, Energy Savings Performance Contracts Presentation**

## Electricity Demand in Ann Arbor, MI

**Source: Energy 2001, Energy Savings Performance Contracts Presentation**

## Gas Consumption in Ann Arbor, MI

**Source: Energy 2001, Energy Savings Performance Contracts Presentation**