engleski

The Role of Fuel Cells in Energy Independent Buildings

An energy independent building is a building that is not connected to energy supply, but generates all its needs using the available renewable energy. Such a building is designed to minimize its energy needs applying passive architecture principles. Active systems are needed to provide its minimized energy needs, such as heating, cooling, electricity for lighting and appliances. Due to the intermittent nature of renewable energy (typically solar insolation or wind) some kind of energy storage is needed. Hydrogen can be used as an energy storage medium. Excess electricity produced during the periods when the renewable energy is available can be used to produce hydrogen which then can be stored and used during the periods when the renewable energy is not available. Fuel cells may be used to generate electricity from hydrogen during those periods. In addition, such a building is typically in remote area usually requiring some kind of transportation. Hydrogen, and fuel cells, may also be used as fuel for transportation as well making the building truly energy independent. The role of a fuel cell is examined on an example of an energy independent building on an Adriatic island. Different scenarios of fuel cell use are examined, and, through computer simulation, optimum configuration as well as optimum fuel cell size (i.e. nominal power and efficiency) is determined. Islands are natural polygons for demonstration of hydrogen energy technologies as well as an entire mini hydrogen economy. The islands typically have some kind of renewable energy available, conventional energy is either non-available or significantly more expensive than on mainland, energy needs are seasonal and often coincide with availability of renewable energy, and preservation of clean environment is usually high on the importance list. UNIDO-International Centre for Hydrogen Energy Technologies (UNIDO-ICHET), whose charter is to initiate hydrogen activities in the developing countries and facilitates technology transfer from developed to the developing countries, considers the theme of renewable hydrogen on the islands as one of the most promising routes for successful demonstration of commercial and pre-commercial hydrogen technologies in a real-life setting.

Fuel cell; energy independent building; solar energy; hydrogen

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