NOTES: Report on the National Hydrogen Association show. California now has a feed-in tariff, where a producer of non-polluting energy can feed it to the grid and get paid in cash, not just credits. Also Lt Gov Garamendi is leading the effort to get a state carbon cap and trade system going, and it is being debated in Congress also. Reducing carbon emissions is going to become valuable. Also third party ownership of renewable energy systems.
Greetings and Introductions: Chapter President, John Gotthold, greets all attendees and asks each attendee to state their name and a short synopsis of their background and what they hope to learn by attending the meeting. 10 minutes.
1. Transportation: Electric battery or fuel cell, that is the question? In the next few years the auto makers will put out thirty models of gas and diesel hybrids, some of them deep hybrids. Only a few makers, GM and Honda, are talking about producing initial volumes (1,000s) of fuel cell cars by 2012. At least a dozen startup electric car makers are planning initial production in 2010-12. GM is twisting arms to get forty hydrogen stations built around LA, putting one within 3½ miles of ninety percent of residents. Cost $4M each, or $160M total, chump change relative to what is being spent for high priced gas. Solar hydrogen station opens in Woodland. Toyota - plug-in not efficient enough to halve CO2 in US. VW has high temp FC stack, 160 C. Suzuki to produce ENV fuel cell motorcycle. Hythane tests in India. Boeing flies first fuel cell powered plane.
2. Government Support for Hydrogen: DOE four year hydrogen tech effort- very little progress on membranes, storage, cost. New four year plan to renew effort. China RED plan for 2006-2010. Germany/Algeria - large scale solar thermal plants and cross-Med pipelines to Germany. CA calls for 7,500 FC vehicles by 2010.
3. Hydrogen Technology: Linde - fast fill technology. Third industrial revolution, based on solar hydrogen and the internet -Jeremy Rifkin. Eden Energy combines liquid hydrogen and electricity storage!!! Oorja methanol fuel cells claimed 100 times more powerful. Duke U - low humidity high temp membrane. Luxim's plasma light bulb. Cardiff - hydrogen storage polymers at 3%. Hydrogen storage in Buckyballs. InnovaTek hand sized micro-reactor - any fuel to hydrogen. Hydrastax 5 kW home power. Metafoam electrodes. UTC power fuel cells - 100,000 hrs in space. MOF 74 - Green gasoline. NSF - Lignocellulosic direct to gasoline.
4. Hydrogen Business: PG&E home energy survey. The cheapest watt is a negawatt! 100 GM FC SUVs being road tested, 100 Honda FC Clarity to start road testing this summer. Backup power and lift truck markets begin to expand. Fuel cells are the best solution. Global clean energy markets skyrocketing. Biofuels, wind power, photovoltaics and fuel cells - up 40% to 77.3 billion in 2007. ITM Power on track with cheap electrolyzers. Air products hydrogen fueling stations have completed their 50,000th hydrogen fuel fill. GM pleading for hydrogen infrastructure development. DELL to run HQ with renewable power.
