Four steps to a new reliable,
cleaner and decentralized Energy Supply
based on Hydrogen and Fuel Cells
(By Arno A. Evers, arno@hydrogenambassadors.com,
Starnberg, Germany)
With a new reliable, cleaner and decentralised Energy
Supply based on Hydrogen and Fuel Cells, incidents like
the 2003 blackout in US and Canada would not have happened.
The “components” to achieve this goal are
available; some need additional R & D work, but
the target can be achieved.
Cars are the key. There are 44 Mil. cars registered
in Germany (82 Mil. Inhabitants)with an average power
of 70 kW in their ICE’s, producing a total of
~3,000 GW, used, at this time, “only” for
transportation.
If you then consider that the average car, in Germany,
only runs 1 hour out of 24 and imagine that all of these
cars would be equipped with a 75 kW Fuel Cell powered
by Hydrogen, we would have more than enough “Power”
to supply all consumers of electricity in Germany. Other
countries are comparable. Hydrogen, the most common
element in the universe, can be produced from Renewable
Energies to drastically reduce CO2 emissions.
The incentive for car owners driving vehicles equipped
with Hydrogen and Fuel Cells systems is that they all
can earn money while their cars are parked and connected
via a simple but smart docking station creating a “virtual
Powerplant”. Example: When you park your car at
the supermarket to go shopping, you would earn a rebate
for each minute your car is “plugged” into
the “system”, supplying electricity to that
supermarket. This rebate would show up on your final
bill: “Earn while you shop”. The same would
apply when you’re at home or at the office: Once
you have connected your car to the docking station and
supply electricity to a building, you earn money on-the-spot.
Quoting a famous German carmaker Board Member, who
heard the idea for the first time: “This can only
be realistic in 20 years.” My reply: “If
you don’t start this year, it will be reality
in 21 years….”
I must admit, the idea is not mine; others like Amory
B. Lovins, or Prof. Bernd Hoehlein had this vision before.
However, I believe that the time has come now to make
it a reality.
The realities of today’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell
industry are demonstrated at the Group Exhibit - Hydrogen
+ Fuel Cells at the annual Hannover Fair, April 19-24,
2004. https://www.hydrogenambassadors.com
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