A new report from solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) manufacturer Elcogen indicates the key challenges that have Source: Elcogenimpeded greater adoption of fuel cell technology are being successfully overcome. SOFCs are expected to be competitive without subsidies by 2022, as advances in materials engineering translate into lower operating temperatures and longer service life.

With recent advancements in cell electrochemistry, materials science and ceramic processing, costs can be brought down by lowering materials costs and operating temperatures. With time, scale and growing consumer buy-in, fuel cells will become economically competitive.

Fuel cells have already seen success in power generation, heating and transport applications. But perhaps the most exciting prospect is for solid oxide fuel cells to work in electrolyzer mode, converting excess electricity into hydrogen for storage, unlocking greater renewable energy adoption through long-term energy storage and grid balancing. SOFCs are the most efficient type of fuel cell, with fuel to electricity conversion efficiencies consistently over 60 percent.

Another major opportunity is for greater adoption of distributed combined heat and power (CHP) systems to slash carbon emissions generated in heating households, particularly in Europe. Given the fact residential heating has long been recognized as a challenging sector to decarbonize, fuel cell-equipped micro-CHP units can drastically reduce associated emissions.