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problem:
 In 2006, California State University Northridge (CSUN) enacted one of the most comprehensive university policies on clean energy in the U. S. As part of the new policy, the university sought a new power generation system that was efficient, secure, and environmentally-friendly.
solution:
CSUN installed a one megawatt (1 MW) stationary fuel cell power plant system from FuelCell Energy®.The system, comprised of four Direct FuelCell® 300 (DFC300®) power plants, reforms hydrogen from natural gas to power the fuel cell. At the time of its installation, CSUN implemented the single largest fuel cell system at any university worldwide. The state-of-the-art fuel cell system gives students and faculty a prime opportunity to study this exciting technology first hand. As an added benefit, FuelCell Energy Direct FuelCells (DFCs®) are classified as an “Ultra- Clean” technology under California law, thus qualifying the new system for considerable financial subsidies.
 result:
Through their use of Direct FuelCells, CSUN has successfully reduced the university's energy costs, improved power security through reduced reliance on the grid, created a state-of-the-art educational tool, and reduced their carbon footprint. Approximately 18% of the university's baseload power requirement is met by the fuel cell power plants.The university further benefits from the fuel cells by utilizing waste heat to provide 22 billion British Thermal Units of thermal energy per year in the form of hot water to be used on campus, and by channeling residual CO2 into an adjacent greenhouse where research on carbon dioxide plant enrichment is taking place.
In comparison to emissions that would have been produced if the same amount of power was generated by a traditional power plant, the fuel cell installation represents a reduction of more than 100 tons of harmful pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur oxides (SOx) per year.The power plant also reduces greenhouse gas emissions of CO2 by more than 6,400 tons per year.The combined heat and power efficiency of the system is rated at 83%, making it more than twice as efficient as the U.S. electric grid. Additional benefits of stationary fuel cell power, such as high-reliability, easy siting, and low noise emissions, have made the CSUN fuel cell installation a prime example of how a university facility can reduce their environmental impact while simultaneously increasing efficiency and educational opportunities. Direct FuelCell power plants are comprised of three major functional elements: Electrical Balance of Plant,Mechanical Balance of Plant, and Fuel Cell Modules. Electrical Balance of Plant (EBOP) Mechanical Balance of Plant (MBOP) Fuel Cell Module ©2008 FuelCell Energy, Inc.
About Cal State University Northridge
California State University Northridge (CSUN) is one of the nation's leading academic institutions for environmental affairs.The university is a vibrant and diverse community of 33,000 students and more than 4,000 faculty and staff located on a 356-acre campus in the heart of Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley. For more information please visit www.csun.edu.
About FuelCell Energy
FuelCell Energy develops and markets Ultra- Clean power plants that generate electricity with higher efficiency than distributed generation plants of similar size and with virtually no air pollution. For more information on the company, its products, and its worldwide commercial distribution alliances, please visit www.fuelcellenergy.com.
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