Fuel Cells and Standby Power: The State of the Market

Session Synopsis

Fuel cells and green IT are now very topical. There is now considerable pressure both from within organisations as part of their CSR policy, and from government agencies, to implement clean energy technologies.

A number of new funding opportunities and grants are now available to facilitate the implementation of fuel cell technology and become a pathfinder organisation.Fuel cells were first invented over 170 years ago; however its only in recent years that the technology has become viable as an alternative source of power.

Although popular as a power source for vehicles (passenger cars, motorbikes and buses), fuel cells are now perfectly capable of satisfying the needs of stationary and portable power applications.

This session will discuss the requirements for back-up power to IT infrastructures and identify the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches (generators, batteries and fuel cells) towards meeting them. In considering fuel cells, we will look at how they operate and the competing technologies now available. Although fuel cell capital costs may be higher than conventional generators, these are now falling rapidly and, because there are so few moving parts, maintenance is considerably less expensive. They provide clean energy, with minimal emissions, and can be rack-mounted for siting in computer rooms.

This is not a theoretical, conceptual presentation; we will discuss real life case studies of organisations that have installed fuel cells and the benefits they have derived.

Who should attend this session?
Management responsible for ensuring the delivery of power and back-up power to IT infrastructures, computer rooms and data centres: business continuity planners, facilities managers and IT directors.

What delegates will learn from this session
How fuel cells operate, what products and technologies are available, and in what circumstances they are viable alternatives to conventional generators or battery banks. Delegates will also gain an insight into how fuel cells can deliver prime power for stationary or portable applications.