2008
Fuel Cells for a Greener World
It's 1976 and the Fuel Cell Seminar is in its first year of
fruition as a government funded forum on the fuel cell
community. There are only 150 participants in total, and as
the name would suggest, no exposition in sight. This first
conference was a means for fellow scientists and industry leaders
to talk shop, review the latest research developments within fuel
cells, and network with colleagues. While the fundamental
goals of the conference have not changed in its 32 year history,
2008 brought about exciting improvements within the conference
structure and moved toward solidifying a place for fuel cells as an
alternative energy source.
The 2008 Fuel Cell Seminar & Exposition (FCS&E) was held
at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona, November 27 -
30, 2008. This year's FCS&E grew in attendance by 31%
from 2007, with more than1650 participants. About 76% of
participants came from the commercial sector, while 8% came from
the government sector, indicating the movement of fuel cells from a
research based product to a commodity that is currently available
commercially. Additionally, 12% of the participants
represented academic institutions, encouraging the idea of further
growth and research.
2008 FCS&E Technical Program
The 2008 Technical Program featured a diverse set of talks from
fuel cell R&D to applications and commercialization.
Sessions included topics such as, solid oxide fuel cells, fuel cell
testing and modeling, PEM fuel cells, global overviews,
manufacturing advancements, and fuel cell applications within the
transportation, stationary and portable power sectors. The
commercialization track was also a huge hit, with sessions focused
on public awareness, emerging markets, as well as economic
considerations.
One of the major program highlights was the Opening Plenary
Session, with an international panel of speakers, including Klaus
Bonhoff, NOW National Organization Hydrogen and Fuel Cells
Technologies, Byron McCormick, Fuel Cell Activities, GM
Powertrain, Ken Silverstein, EnergyBiz Insider, Lars
Sjunnesson, Lund University, Thermal Power
Engineering, and Atsushi Yamamoto, FC&H2 Promotion
Office. Many participants commented on McCormick's
speech, calling his talk "inspiring", while others appreciated the
global viewpoints of all of the speakers and deemed the plenary
session "uplifting", and the speakers "inspirational leaders".
The CEO Roundtable also saw an increase in the number of
participants. The Roundtable is a means for attendees to get
the CEO perspective on the state of the industry; it's a forum for
the audience to ask the questions they've been dying to ask about
the fuel cell community and its latest developments. The
Panel included Gary Flood, ReliOn, Inc., Harol Koyama,
IdaTech, LLC, Andy Marsh, Plug Power, and Henri
Winand, Intelligent Energy, The Innovation Center.
One attendee noted that "this session included high caliber CEOs,
which made it a major success."
2008 FCS&E Exposition
While our technical program showcased the latest in research,
development and manufacturing, our 2008 Exposition went
international. Exhibitors came from all over the world,
including Germany, Canada, the UK, Japan, Finland, and
Taiwan. There were a total of 143 exhibiting companies, close
to 20% of which were new to the FCS&E. Our European
contingency also increased, with exhibitors from both Finland and
Germany taking over large exhibitor pavilions.
New this year, was the Exhibit Hall-Only pass, which allowed
attendees to tour just the exhibits. Improved features such
as Demo-World and the Ride & Drive were certainly the major
attractions for the 356 Exhibit-Only attendees who visited the
exhibits. On hand in Demo-World was IdaTech's
iGenTM Fuel Cell System, a 250 watt industrial fuel cell
system. During the demonstration, the system was initialized
to charge batteries and power an electric load and thereafter
shutdown.
Another highlight at this year's exhibits was the revival of the
FCS&E Ride & Drive. The 2008 FCS&E Ride &
Drive allowed attendees to test drive fuel cell hydrogen powered
vehicles, including the Chevy Equinox, Daimler F-Cell, Honda FCX
Clarity, Hyundai Tucson, and Toyota HFCV. Attendees waited
around the block for their chance to ride or drive one of these
zero-emissions, alternative energy vehicles. While currently
only available in Southern California, one of the most popular of
the cars was the Honda FCX Clarity. The FCX Clarity is an
electric powered vehicle that generates electricity by combining
hydrogen and oxygen inside a fuel cell stack. Another popular
vehicle was the Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell. The Chevy Equinox
Fuel Cell is powered by the GM fourth-generation fuel cell system,
and while not currently available for purchase, was given the 2008
Green Car Vision Award by Green Car Journal.
Going Green & Other New Initiatives
To embrace our theme, Fuel Cells for a Greener World, the
FCS&E Planning Committee adopted many new initiatives for the
2008 conference. From providing water bottles made of
recycled materials, to decreasing the number of printed abstract
volumes and replacing them with CDs, the logistical goal for this
year's FCS&E was to encourage attendees to practice what they
preach and go green.
Other initiatives included the Women in Fuel Cells
Luncheon. Because of their desire to establish an
organization that celebrated the contributions women have made in
the science, engineering, marketing, and deployment of fuel cells
around the world, Erin Lane, Kay Larson, and Jennifer Gangi created
Women in Fuel Cells (WFC). A steering committee of 13 women
worked tirelessly in the weeks leading up to the luncheon to
establish a mission statement, determine preliminary goals for the
group, and appropriately market their organization.
On Wednesday, October 29th, 65 women and men convened
for the inaugural Women in Fuel Cells Luncheon to officially launch
the organization. Dr. Meldrum, Dean of Engineering
at Arizona State, provided the keynote address, in which she
emphasized the need for balance in the industry in order to achieve
good products, good design and good processes. The
presentation was followed by a lively group discussion that focused
on the goals of the organization, which included, providing
networking opportunities, a mentoring program, and scholarship
support. The success of the kick-off lunch indicates the need for
such an organization and provides encouragement for the future of
WFC.
FCS&E in the News
This year's FCS&E saw a 71% increase in the number of
registered press, including those from top industry magazines such
as Fuel Cell Today, Fuel Cell Magazine, and
Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Letter, as well as local news
media such as the Business Journal of Phoenix, and the
Arizona Republic. News coverage of the
conference was featured on News Channel 12, the Phoenix NBC
affiliate, while numerous articles about the conference were
included in magazines and online blogs, such as
InformationWeek, EnergyBiz Insider, Modern
Materials Handling, AutoBlogGreen.com, Hydrogen
& Fuel Cell Letter, and Fuel Cell Today.
Overall, the 2008 FCS&E continued to improve its place
within the fuel cell industry, prompting one attendee to say, "If
you have an interest in fuel cells - this is the conference you
have to attend. There is nothing else like it." - taken
from an anonymous conference evaluation.
Like the fuel cell industry, the Fuel Cell Seminar &
Exposition has come a long way since 1976. We've developed
into an ever-growing community whose product is vital, sustainable,
and has developed into a reality. Fuel cells are here and the
FCS&E will continue on its mission to make the public and the
fuel cell community aware of its technology.