Renewable Energy Information and Resources

Question: Where do fuel cells rank with other renewable energy source?

(Posted by: on 2010-05-16 10:41:52)

A list of like the top energy sources with fuel cells would be really great.

Answers:

Posted by: Skipweasel on 2010-05-16, 10:47:50

The clue is in the name. They're FUEL cells - that means they need some sort of fuel. They can be designed to operate on a very wide range of fuels, but then so can internal combustion engines, power stations, gas turbines and many other prime movers.

Posted by: golgafrincham on 2010-05-16, 10:50:36

At the bottom. Don't get me wrong, I think that fuel cells will be important in future technology, but they aren't a fuel SOURCE. There are no vast reserves of hydrogen, like there are/ were of oil, waiting to be tapped. Fuel cells are a form of energy storage, a clean burning fuel, as it were. They are batteries. They can make use of energy created by other sources, renewable or not. Sorry, I don't have a list of renewable energy sources, to show ranking, but in the exact sense of the wording, as I have already beaten to death, fuel cells are not a renewable energy source.

Posted by: Susan on 2010-05-16, 12:09:05

Yes, I agree with the prior answers that fuel cells as of themselves are not a renewable energy source, but an integral part in the collection of solar energy. Examples of renewable energy sources are sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat which come from natural resources. They are naturally replenished. Mainstream forms of renewable energy are Wind power, Hydro-power, Solar energy, Biomass, Bio-fuel, and Geothermal energy. Each form of renewable energy has their own set of advantages and disadvantages. After installing a bio-fuel outdoor heating furnace in 2009 we significantly reduced our oil heating costs. Our next project in short order is looking at both wind and sun power. We are planning on reducing our electric costs through the use of wind and solar energy.

Posted by: indianwest62 on 2010-05-16, 13:04:54

I'm just here for the 2 points :)

Posted by: Ted H on 2010-05-16, 22:36:40

O.k. I'm going to reword your question and then try to answer it. How do fuel cells fit into our energy needs. #0 Increased energy efficiency (will do more to help than any alternative "source " of energy " #1 Coal Where most of our electricity comes from (Cheap, but dirty, lots of it though right here in the U.S. #2 Oil/ Gas Where heating, transportation, and some of our electricity comes from. (A little pricey, supplies might be running low, at least where we can get them easily, range from very clean to filthy. #3 Nuclear. Where a lot of or electricity comes from. (What to do with radioactive waste?, Security issues? Safety? Expensive compared to coal, mostly because of regulations, but no greenhouse gas emissions) #4 Hydroelectricity (Clean, cheap, Dams create environmental problems, displace people, only feasible in certain areas.) #5 Wood (Not typically used to create electricity but renewable, used to heat homes, cheap, dirty and high labor.) We now enter "alternative energy " #6. Wind, (similar issues to hydro, but less output. and can't be stored.) #7. Solar (Very expensive, requires battery banks, widely used in remote locations and specialty applications.) #8 Batteries. (Great for flashlights, everyone waiting for the breakthrough in high capacity inexpensive battery. Not here yet, may never be.) #9 Fuel Cells. (Expensive, but may hold promise, could make a GREAT alternative to batteries to run flashlights, cell phones, cars, homes?) #10 Get a horse (Expensive, slow, no place to plug in my i-phone) #11 Dogs on treadmills.

Posted by: John W on 2010-05-17, 00:24:58

Fuel cells aren't a source of energy, they are devices that extract chemically stored energy. If that chemically stored energy (fuel) is from a fossil reserve then it's not a renewable source of energy (at least not renewable in our lifetimes) but if it's produced by solar or wind power then it's renewable. Note that when Sandia Labs researched more efficient ways of producing hydrogen using solar energy, they realized that they could also produce hydrocarbon fuels so in fact fuels such as gasoline could also be renewable energy sources if synthesized from solar energy as was done with the CR5 reactor.