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To: Archie Meeties who wrote (9892)	2/7/2000 7:16:00 PM
From: Joe Wesley	Respond to of 78673

>>The handwriting is on the wall for utilities.<< I will love to see these systems widely available because I live in rural central PA and have access to 1 million cuft. of free gas per year. We have been considering a fuel cell system for some time to reduce a significant demand charge (30+% of our monthly bill) on our farm. Even in our application the the fact that the battery pack will have to be replaced at 5-7 year intervals and the system may only last 20 years makes a purchase debatable vs current electric cost. Also after looking at the PLUG model system it doesn't seem efficient for residential use unless there is a way to use the waste heat for heating or hot water. And with residential users paying $5.00+/mcf. for fuel vs. $2.50/mcf. or less for electric utilities, the power may be more dependable but when system maintenance is factored in I would like to see how economical it is. AA

To: Archie Meeties who wrote (9892)	2/8/2000 8:21:00 AM
From: 16bit	Respond to of 78673

Here's an article on fuel cells that you might find interesting. motherearthnews.com Some quotes . . . "...though a latecomer to the fuel cell field, stationary power systems will be first to go commercial, as soon as January 2001. And while the initial units will likely sell for $7,500 or more, that price is expected to quickly tumble below $4,000 as manufacturers move into mass production." "Acker predicts his company's fuel cell systems will see useful life spans of 15 to 20 years, or about what you'd expect to get from a typical home furnace." "Ten or 15 years ago, we would have needed close to $10,000 worth of platinum to make this device," says Acker. "Today, we need well under $100--and it has absolutely nothing to do with the price of platinum." "But what does using platinum, a nonrenewable resource, do to a fuel cell's environmental score sheet? Acker notes that while platinum is not renewable, it is recyclable. And since the platinum used in fuel cells is neither diminished nor degraded, it can, at the end of a system's useful life, be retrieved and used again." Byron