Office of Public Relations

Pomona, NJ  08240

 

Stocktons New Fuel Cell to Serve as Teaching Tool as Well as Energy Saver

 

Colleges 200-kilowatt unit to be formally unveiled with ribbon cutting and technical tour on May 22, 2003

 

For Immediate Release

May 18 ,2003

 

Contact:   Tim Kelly

                  Stockton Public Relations

                  (609) 652-4950

 

POMONA, NJ Fuel cells are a wave of the future in green energy technology.  They are being touted by environmentalists for their ability to save fuel and reduce pollution in the process.  The new unit at The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey is no exception, but it does something else: increase awareness and teach about its many benefits.

 

A fuel cell is an energy source that generates electricity from an electromechanical process.   This makes it somewhat akin to a battery, although it will run indefinitely as long as natural gas is supplied to it.

 

At many other places, the trailer-sized, boxy-looking fuel cells -- which generate clean electricity while providing hot water and building heat are hidden behind buildings, near dumpsters, or air conditioning units.

 

Not so at Stockton, which prides itself on its environmentally friendly technology.  Stocktons experience in this area also includes the worlds largest closed-loop geothermal heating and cooling system and photovoltaic panels atop the Arts and Science Building.

 

As an institution of higher education we have an obligation not only to implement to most efficient technologies, but also to teach about them, says Professor of Physics Lynn Stiles. Were proud of our fuel cell and making it visible presents an opportunity for the College to get the word out about it.

 

As a result of this philosophy, Stockton has made its fuel cell highly visible. The unit is

 

 

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located in a grassy area beside a main campus walkway, near a cafeteria and within a short walk of several classrooms.   Spotlights have been installed to illuminate the unit at night.  And a diagram showing how the fuel cell works adorns one of its sides, providing passers-by with a lesson on fuel-savings and the leadership role Stockton has taken with respect to responsible energy consumption.

 

The easy thing to do would have been to locate this fuel cell in an out-of-the-way place that would not have been noticeable, Stiles says.  This way, we can not only talk about our fuel cell and its many benefits, we can show it to people.  Classes can come out here and look at it.  Schools and businesses from other areas can even visit the campus and see how it is working here and think about applying the same technology at their own organization.

 

Stockton will officially unveil the unit with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and technical tour on Thursday, May 22, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Townsend Residential Life Center on the Pomona Campus.

 

If the location of the fuel cell seems unusual, Marvin Wittmer, Stocktons Director of Facilities Planning and Construction has a different idea.

 

It is so clean and quiet, you might otherwise miss it, he says.  We want people to see our fuel cell because it is such a great example of energy efficient, environmentally friendly technology.  Wittmer added that the fuel cell also provides Stockton with an emergency electrical supply when other sources are shut down, an important consideration since Stockton has been designated as a local emergency evacuation center.

 

Stiles said he would teach about the fuel cell in his Energy Management course.  Students at Stockton have the opportunity to earn an Energy Studies certificate by taking courses such as Stiles and others in Environmental Studies and Physics.

 

Stocktons fuel cell works by generating electricity by extracting hydrogen from natural gas.   The first step taking place within the unit is the conversion of natural gas to hydrogen and carbon dioxide.  What gives the unit its green status is its ability to generate the electricity by producing significantly less carbon dioxide (a contributor to the greenhouse effect) than traditional methods, such as micro turbines and combined cycle gas turbines.

 

In the future, when hydrogen is available from renewable sources such as wind, fuel cells will be totally clean, releasing only water vapor as a waste product.

 

 

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Another advantage of fuel cells is their contribution to the distributed generation of energy.  This enables the electricity to be produced much closer to its point of need. It can also be placed into service much faster than a traditional electricity plant, and it is better for homeland security.  A traditional power plant is vulnerable to a terrorist attack.

 

Stocktons unit cost $1.3 million but only $305,000 came out of the Colleges budget, thanks to grants from the Board of Public Utilities and the United States Department of Energy.

 

This kind of partnership is a true win-win for all involved, says Stiles. He estimates the 200-kilowatt unit will generate an average of one-tenth of the campus electricity needs, giving Stockton the lowest energy costs per student of any state college in New Jersey.

 

 

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