DOD residential proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell demonstration program. volume 1, Summary of the fiscal year 2001 program

Abstract : Beginning in Fiscal Year 2001 (FY01), Congress funded the DOD Residential PEM Demonstration Program to demonstrate domestically-produced, residential Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells at military facilities. The objective of the program was to assess PEM fuel cells in supporting sustainability in military installations, increasing efficiency in installation, operation, and maintenance of fuel cells at these sites, and assessing the role of PEM fuel cells in DOD training, readiness, and sustainability missions. Other objectives were to provide: a military base market for this technology, evaluation and feedback to promote commercialization and market growth, operational product testing and validation, grid interconnection standards, and system operation in diverse environmental conditions. For this program, researchers developed and advertised a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), which outlined a core set of requirements for proposals. Twelve pre-proposals were received from the FY01 Program BAA solicitation. After review and evaluation of full proposals, six contracts were awarded, representing 22 fuel cells at 10 military installations. The awardees are required to report operational performance of each of the fuel cell power plants in the DOD program, including total operating hours, total electricity production, total fuel usage, total waste heat recovery, availability, electrical efficiency, and thermal efficiency.