A Plug Power fuel cell will supply much of the energy needs at Harkins House, a new Washington County juvenile shelter in Hillsboro, Oregon.
The Combined Heat and power Consortium has installed this proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell to efficiently generate electric power and heat for hot water at Harkins House. The five-kilowatt fuel cell runs on natural gas and is manufactured by Plug Power Inc. of Latham, New York.
The fuel cell produces electricity, water and usable heat. The hydrogen is generated internally from natural gas and then fed directly into the fuel cell stack. Processing the natural gas has some environmental impact, although less than most other sources of electrical power.
The fuel cell can generate up to 40,000 kilowatt-hours per year, enough to supply about 20 percent of the 14,000 square foot facility's needs. At times, the system may generate more power than Harkins House can use. That surplus will be fed into the PGE power grid, essentially running Harkins House's electric meter "backward," potentially lowering its electric bill.
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