Recently fuel cells have become a highly talked about subject because of their ability to provide the same energy has fossil fuels with virtually no emissions. Fuel cells convert stored chemical energy into electricity. The chemical energy comes from a fuel source, usually rich in hydrogen like methane but natural gas is common as well, which is converted to chemical energy and then passed through some electrolyte or catalyst, depending on the type of fuel cell. This technology is exciting so many people because fuel cells could potentially replace power plants. This appeals to environmentalists as well because of the reduction of hydrocarbons put into the atmosphere. So why aren't fuel cells the obvious choice for energy? Economics. So far the fuel cell is not cost effective except in industrial cases, like the Bloom Box powering the Yahoo building in California. The goal of scientists currently developing this technology is to make fuel cells cost effective for individual consumers. With the goal of fuel cells powering homes, cars, and even larger appliances we could be on our way to an energy revolution within the next ten years.
For more information on fuel cells (especially watch the video): http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/alternative-fuels/fuel-cell.htm
I agree with Greg that fuel cells could revolutionize the energy industry. The problem with using fossil fuels to generate electricity is the emissions, but with a fuel cell replacing the power plant itself, this emissions would be gone. This is just as Greg wrote. My question for future growth is how cheap do fuel cells need to be for them to compete with power plants? My other question has to do with reliability. How reliable can these fuel cells be, and with that how efficient are they? I think these are good questions to ask in relation to fuel cells.
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