Hydrogen Fuel Cell
Yale contributes to the production of clean energy on campus through the use of a 250 kW hydrogen fuel cell. Installed in 2003, the fuel cell is located behind the Peabody Museum and the Class of 1954 Environmental Science Center.
At 250 kilowatts, the fuel cell produces 40-50% of the electricity for the Environmental Science Center. Its electricity production alone is 47% effective, and the addition of heat recovery allows for up to 60% efficiency -- enough for the EPA to recognize Yale with a combined heat and power leadership award.
The fuel cell was built by the Fuel Cell Energy Company, based in Danbury, Connecticut, and was awarded to Yale through a grant from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund. This initiative by the State was part of an effort to promote the Connecticut’s fuel cell industry. Yale is committed to publicizing the fuel cell as a demonstration site for 10 years.
While designed to run on pure hydrogen, Yale’s fuel cell is actually powered by natural gas, 80% of which is usable hydrogen. The fuel cell takes in natural gas and water and produces water, electricity, and hot air. The power produced by the fuel cell provides about 40-50% of the electricity for the Class of 1954 Environmental Science Center, which houses several scientific labs and many of the Peabody Museum’s collections. Initially, the hot air produced as a byproduct of the chemical reaction inside the fuel cell was going to waste, so Yale Facilities designed a heat exchanger, which uses the hot air to heat the building, raising the system’s efficiency from 47 to 65%. Yale Facilities won a Certificate of Recognition from the Environmental Protection Agency for this innovation. To view the real-time energy production of the fuel cell click here.
You can learn more about fuel cells at the Connecticut Hydrogen Fuel Cell Coalition.
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