Alcohol Fuelled Professors Power Up At Grove
I was at The Tenth Fuel Cell Symposium last week and during a follow-up meeting was asked what I thought of the event. This was a difficult one. On the one hand you had a Morgan car prototype showing how they may use a fuel-cell engine in the future. At the other you had boffins - a very English term - showing that they could get a propellor to spin when connected to a small beaker of methanol. When you take three generic forms of power generation - wind turbines, fuel cells and solar power - it is only really solar power that has offered products for installation within fairly easy reach of most individuals and organisations - should they be so inclined. Domestic wind power and fuel cells have yet to find their killer leverage I feel and are held back by natural early life cycle inhibitors such as cost, references, standards and perhaps, too many corporate giants trying to turn these mass markets to their particular solution.
