Fuel Cells

Many observers believe that fuel cells will lie at the heart of any postfossil energy architecture. Although they have been around for 150 years and their performance is not in doubt, their high manufacturing costs and low reliability mean that they have yet to capture any mass markets. A large number of companies and research initiatives are hoping to change that over the coming decade. We draw a distinction between the hydrogen industry and the fuel cell sector: fuel cells can burn a variety of hydrocarbon fuels, and hydrogen can be used by other systems, such as internal combustion engines. There is, however, substantial crossover between the two sectors.

These patented technologies for practical hydrogen collection and storage (fuel cells) have the potential to power the world entirely from renewable energy within one year if implemented today.

ECD synthesizes new materials and develops advanced production technologies and innovative products based on amorphous, disordered and related materials, emphasizing alternative energy generation (thin-film photovoltaic, fuel cells) and energy storage (NiMH batteries, solid hydrogen storage).

HyperSolar is developing a breakthrough, low cost technology to make renewable hydrogen using sunlight and any source of water, including seawater and wastewater. By optimizing the science of water electrolysis at the nano-level, our low cost nanoparticles mimic photosynthesis to efficiently use sunlight to separate hydrogen from water, to produce environmentally friendly renewable hydrogen.

Agni Inc. develops and manufactures Fuel Cells, Fuel Processing, Steam Reforming, Heat Recovery Steam Generators, Hydrogen Storage Technology Cogeneration, Trigeneration and CO2 sequestration, marketed under the Agni brand.

Electro Power Systems was founded in 2005 and is based in Italy. It is an established player in the sector of fuel cell systems for mission-critical backup power applications. It won the Italian Innovation Award in 2005, was listed as one of the Global Cleantech 100 in 2009 and its new self-recharging ElectroSelf platform was named "Most Innovative Product Enabling a Greener World" at the GSMA's Mobile Innovation EMEA event in June 2009.

EnerFuel Inc., a subsidiary of alternative energy company Ener1, Inc., designs and develops technologies and products that advance the safety, reliability and performance of Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell products.