2007
| Fuel Cells in the News - Watch Video! |
| The 2007 Fuel Cell Seminar & Exposition as featured on
KSAT, Channel 12 News in San Antonio |
Fuel Cells: On the path to Energy Independence
"You can buy a fuel cell today. Y O U can buy a fuel cell
today." - Bob Rose, US Fuel Cell Council
"Fuel cells are not the technology of the future - they are
being used right now." - Mike Binder, Michael Binder Associates
"Fuel cell products are a fact, not a myth." - Sam Logan, Logan
Energy
The timing couldn't have been better for this year's Fuel Cell
Seminar & Exhibition (FCS&E). With gasoline still hovering
near $3.00 per gallon, utility companies warning customers about
impending rate hikes this winter, and environmentalists beating the
"global warming" drum louder than ever, the FCS&E celebrated
its 31st year with 1700 attendees, over 250 posters, and 144
exhibitors. Held at the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center in San
Antonio, Texas - the heart of the U.S. oil industry - the Fuel Cell
Seminar & Exhibition retained its reputation as the largest and
most highly-regarded fuel cell conference in the world, uniting
technical leaders, scientists, educators, researchers, developers,
investors, students and manufacturers of today's fuel cell
products.
The FCS&E offered attendees the opportunity to attend four
technical sessions, high-temperature and low-temperature R&D,
demonstration and end user perspectives, and a new 4th track,
entitled, "Pathways to Commercialization." This session was geared
to helping manufacturers and developers learn how to make the leap
from experimental development to marketing their products
commercially. In addition, industry experts examined current public
awareness and product advancements while discussing the
government's role in supporting future fuel cell
implementations.
The key takeaway from this year's conference is that interest in
the fuel cell industry is growing rapidly in the academic and
industrial communities, both here in the US and in the rest of the
world. Driving that interest is the fact that fuel cells deliver an
exceptional combination of benefits to society. They are proven to
be clean, safe and efficient alternative energy sources. In
addition, they fuel the movement toward energy independence, both
from fossil fuels and grid power.
They can power an extraordinary range of applications, from
battery replacements in consumer electronics to backup and remote
power generation to auxiliary power units to combined heat and
power systems and high-efficiency base load electrical generation.
They are also being developed for mobile power systems, specialty
vehicles such as forklifts and airport equipment, and for any
vehicle that carries people, including transit buses and the family
car.
One exhibitor that created a lot of buzz at the FCS&E was
Intelligent Energy. The company featured the ENV, the world's first
purpose designed fuel-cell powered motorbike. Powered by a 1kW
Intelligent Entergy fuel cell, the bike has a top speed of 50mph
and range of 100 miles on a tank of compressed hydrogen.
Fuel cells are meeting customer needs today in other high-value
niche markets, however, market growth has its challenges. Education
and government participation is key in getting fuel cells into the
commercial market. Capturing fuel cells' benefits for our society
will require active public-private partnerships in all stages of
development and demonstration and in preparing markets through
financial incentives, infrastructure investment and removal of
regulatory and economic barriers.
"We are just now beginning to experience the exciting range of
possibilities, and we need everyone's support to push this industry
forward. Everybody in the fuel cell industry - go buy a fuel cell.
Spread the word. Show it to people. Take this message to the
streets." - Bob Rose, US Fuel Cell Council
Join us next year in Phoenix, Arizona!