ARPA-E Announces $33M Funding for DG Technologies at New York Energy Week

By EnerKnol Research on July 07, 2014 at 10:00 AM

Germany Plans 26 New Coal-Fired Power Plants

ARPA-E has announced $33M in funding under its new REBELS program to support innovative distributed generation technologies.  

On June 19, 2014, the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) announced $33M in funding for 13 projects through its new Reliable Electricity Based on Electrochemical Systems (REBELS) program.  The new projects will focus on transformational fuel cell technologies to support low-cost distributed generation (DG).  They will use electrochemical DG systems aimed to improve grid stability, balance intermittent renewable technologies, and reduce emissions.

Fuel cells, which convert chemical energy into electrical energy, are optimal for DG systems.  Current fuel-cell research centers on technologies that operate at high temperature for grid-scale applications or low temperatures for vehicle technologies.  The new REBELS projects will explore low-cost Intermediate-Temperature Fuel Cells (ITFCs) based on three technical approaches:

  • – Delivering efficient, reliable ITFCs made from low-cost materials and components for use in DG systems
  • – Integrating ITFCs and electricity storage at the device-level, rather than system-level, to enable battery-like response to temporary power loads
  • – Developing ITFCs that can convert gaseous hydrocarbons like methane into liquid fuels using excess energy

ARPA-E-DG-Projects

Centralized Generation vs Distributed Generation (joinmosaic)

DG systems facilitate electricity generation from sources close to the point of consumption and offer an alternative to centralized generation from large power plants.  They overcome challenges posed by centralized generation by cutting back on the number of power lines, reducing transmission losses, and improving renewable energy integration.  DG systems, such as on-site renewable energy systems and combined heat and power (CHP) systems facilitate low-cost electricity, high reliability, and security with low environmental impact.

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