To overcome high costs, which is a second obstacle to mass production and
commercialization of FCVs, the stationary fuel cell market may play a key role. Experts at the Rocky Mountain Institute suggest that buildings may be the initial market to increase fuel cell production and cut costs, eventually making fuel cells cost-competitive for vehicles. They make clear, however, that buildings and vehicles are both such large markets that when fuel cell production in either sector starts to take off, the other will follow. Once buildings get much of their power from fuel cells, spare off-peak hydrogen can be used to run vehicles; this eliminates the need for a fully developed network of hydrogen stations to precede FCV commercialization.
Businesses that need a reliable electricity supply are turning to fuel cells to power their buildings. Verizon announced in April 2002 that it would use fuel cells to provide electrical power at a telephone call routing center on Long Island, New York. The U.S. Postal Service's mail processing center in Anchorage, Alaska, also uses fuel cells to get power unaffected by outages on the grid. The First National Bank of Omaha, a credit card processing company, turned to fuel cells to provide the consistent power supply it requires. It then uses the heat from the fuel cells for space heating.
commercialization of FCVs, the stationary fuel cell market may play a key role. Experts at the Rocky Mountain Institute suggest that buildings may be the initial market to increase fuel cell production and cut costs, eventually making fuel cells cost-competitive for vehicles. They make clear, however, that buildings and vehicles are both such large markets that when fuel cell production in either sector starts to take off, the other will follow. Once buildings get much of their power from fuel cells, spare off-peak hydrogen can be used to run vehicles; this eliminates the need for a fully developed network of hydrogen stations to precede FCV commercialization.
Businesses that need a reliable electricity supply are turning to fuel cells to power their buildings. Verizon announced in April 2002 that it would use fuel cells to provide electrical power at a telephone call routing center on Long Island, New York. The U.S. Postal Service's mail processing center in Anchorage, Alaska, also uses fuel cells to get power unaffected by outages on the grid. The First National Bank of Omaha, a credit card processing company, turned to fuel cells to provide the consistent power supply it requires. It then uses the heat from the fuel cells for space heating.