February 29, 2012—A new report by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) titled Business Case for Fuel Cells 2011: Energizing America’s Top Companies could serve as the last push a company needs to take advantage of fuel cells’ many benefits. The report illustrates how 34 American companies are using fuel cells in their business operations to advance their sustainability goals, save millions of dollars in electricity costs, and reduce carbon emissions by hundreds of thousands of metric tons per year.
According to the report, in the last year, profiled companies used more than 250 fuel cells totaling 30-plus megawatts of stationary power—enough to supply electricity for more than 21,000 households. In addition, companies in the report purchased or deployed more than 240 fuel cells at telecommunication sites and more than 1,030 fuel cell-powered lift trucks.
Per the report, Walmart, Coca-Cola, Sysco, and Whole Foods are leading the pack:
- Walmart—6.8 MW for combined heat and power systems (CHP) (17 stores) and 70+ forklifts
- Coca-Cola—2.1 MW (4 locations) and 70+ forklifts
- Sysco Corporation—600+ forklifts at several locations, 100 more on order
- Whole Foods Market—1.2 MW (4 stores) and 60+ forklifts
- Coca-Cola—2.1 MW (4 locations) and 70+ forklifts
So how do these companies deploy fuel cell technologies in their daily operations? Many use fuel cells as a cost-saving alternative to power lift trucks in their warehouses and distribution centers, the report’s authors say. The DOE’s analysis of fuel cell-powered lift trucks deployed via the Recovery Act concludes that fuel cells provide eight times lower refueling/recharging labor cost and two times lower net present value of total system cost compared to batteries.
In addition, CHP systems are another attractive application of fuel cell technologies. When fuel cells generate electricity they give off waste heat. In a CHP system, the waste heat is captured for a wide variety of applications, including space heating and hot water.
