Edinburgh Napier university generates own energy with fuel cell
30/12/2014
A fuel cell generator that will reduce costs and carbon emissions has been installed for free by iPower at Edinburgh Napier University, as James Hunt reports:
The BlueGEN fuel cell has been installed at Napier University’s Merchiston campus, and it converts natural gas to heat and electricity around the clock. Napier University, iPower, BlueGEN
Edinburgh Napier University has, it says, taken up a ‘pioneering green deal’, one that will cut CO2 emissions while simultaneously reducing energy costs. With this deal, the university’s property and facilities department has commissioned the installation of a fuel cell.
The BlueGEN fuel cell unit has been installed at Napier University’s Merchiston campus, and it converts natural gas to heat and electricity around the clock.
Each unit, which utilises ceramic fuel cells to electrochemically convert gas into electricity, is claimed to use the most efficient method currently available to extract usable energy from the gas. The process works at significantly higher electrical efficiencies than some other microCHP systems and is said to be on a par with those on a much larger scale. For instance, BlueGEN fuel cells operate at a high 60% electrical efficiency, which is roughly the same as that for a large Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) plant – generally considered to be highly energy efficient.
Electricity is consumed locally, with unused power being exported to the grid, and if the integrated heat recovery system is connected, the waste heat from BlueGen can be used to produce hot water - which improves the total efficiency to approximately 85%. BlueGen fuel cells can be controlled remotely via the Internet.
The overall result at Edinburgh Napier University, which is said to be a ‘landmark deal’ for a wider programme due to be launched soon, is estimated to be a reduction in CO2 emissions of 3.6 tonnes each year. In addition, this fuel cell could make money through the Government’s Feed-In-Tariff scheme, in which energy users can obtain money back from the low carbon electricity they generate.
In the vanguard
Use of the BlueGEN unit, in a project managed by award-winning social enterprise iPower Energy, places the university in the vanguard of micro combined heat and power (micro-CHP) fuel cell technology application in Scotland, it is claimed.
iPower covered the cost of supplying and installing the unit, while the university pays for its servicing and the gas consumed, in return enjoying free use of all the electricity and heat which is generated.
As the first Scottish installation of BlueGEN, Edinburgh Napier will demonstrate the future potential for the technology of power generation on both domestic and business premises.
iPower, which is committed to addressing the twin challenges of climate change and fuel poverty, has received support from Scottish Enterprise, including a competitively won award under its Edge programme.
iPower MD, Jon Cape, commented: “iPower is delighted to have worked with Edinburgh Napier University on this project. It provides a showcase not only for the technology but also for the pioneering business model which has been used.
“The Edinburgh Napier installation is the first installation of a fuel cell CHP unit, of any scale, on a free provision basis.
“The capital cost of supply and installation is met by iPower. The site-owner – the University in this case - pays for gas consumed by the unit and for servicing and enjoys free use of all electricity and heat generated, giving rise to substantial net savings to the site owner,” he concluded.
Part of the educative process
The university will use the installation for educational purposes within the School of Engineering and the Built Environment, and for demonstrations to external audiences.
Richard Cebula, energy and utilities manager at Edinburgh Napier University, said: “Given the university’s own research involvement and the need to explore different ways to reduce operational carbon emissions, it was considered constructive to install the BlueGEN as a working example of alternative micro combined heat and power.
“Despite the science behind the system being well known, BlueGEN is still at the stage of early adoption. Although the energy produced is small scale, the Merchiston installation is regarded as a proving ground for further development and use of this renewable electricity and heat generating technology which is eligible for Feed-In-Tariff payments to assist in covering the additional costs associated with early uptake renewables.
“It is hoped that the university will be able to further utilise the BlueGEN and similar technology on a larger scale within its buildings in its bid to achieve its ambitious carbon reduction targets. Self-generation of electricity is increasingly becoming a more critical element of carbon management,” said Richard Cebula.
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