ABSTRACT

This paper is a response to Kreith and Isler’s August, 2002 Journal of Solar Energy Engineering Discussion Note, Comments Dealing with Fuel Cell Energy Policy and Renewable Energy. This paper first discusses the technical and economic principles underlying the levelized cost method of computing the cost (US$/gal-HVF; e /L-HVF) and carbon content (lb-CO₂/gal-HVF; kg-CO₂/L-H₂) of a gallon of hydrogen vehicle fuel (HVF) produced by a wind (grid) electric powered hydrogen electrolyzer (HE). Topics include global warming and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the conventional methods of producing industrial hydrogen (H₂), HE technology, CO₂ emissions from internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEV) and fuel cell vehicles (FCV), CO₂ emissions from H₂ production, gasoline gallon equivalent (GGE) of a gal-HVF, HE capacity (MW, gal-H₂/yr; L-H₂/yr;), HE efficiency-%, HE capacity cost-US$/MW; e /MW, physical life of a HE-yr, HE availability-%, HE capacity-%, electric energy (wind, grid) cost (US$/MWh; e /MWh), gal-HVF/yr (L-HVF/yr) produced, levelized cost method, depreciation, capital cost-%, cost of capital, fixed and variable non-electric energy operating and maintenance (O&M) costs and taxes. The paper then compares the carbon emissions (lb-CO₂/100mi; kg-CO₂/100km) of the current US passenger ICEV Fleet with a proposed US passenger FCV fleet

The paper includes two worksheets, "Levelized Cost (US$/gal-H₂; e /L-H₂) and Carbon Content (lbs-CO₂/gal-H₂;kg-CO₂/L-H₂) of HVF Produced at a Model Wind Electric Powered 1 MW HE with Benchmark Values for a Model Plant Located in Iowa next to a Model 1 MW Wind Plant" and "A Comparison of the Carbon Emissions (lb-CO₂/100mi; kg-CO₂/100km) and Fuel Costs (US$/100mi; e /100km) of the Current US Passenger ICEV Fleet with a Proposed US Passenger FCV Fleet". There is also a list of nomenclature.

This paper was first presented at the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) Solar 2003 Conference, 21-25 June 2003, Austin, TX. I presented another version of this paper with e /liter and SI units (kg, km, L) at the 2003 European Wind Energy Conference, 16-20 June 2003, Madrid, Spain.

This paper has now been submitted to the Journal of Solar Energy Engineering (JSEE). I would like to get some more professional and academic feedback during the Environmental Economics-II Session (Saturday, October 18, 2003) of the 33rd Annual Illinois Economics Association Meeting.

October 12, 2003

              Fuel Cell Vehicle