The concept

To this day, households are usually provided with power and heat separately. European directives call for the attainment of sustainable results as soon as possible: higher efficiency, lower CO₂.

With combined heat and power (CHP) generation and the incorporation of the natural gas network, the first steps are being taken toward a comprehensive solution: decentralised, on-site production of the required energy with a fuel cell heating system – generation of power and heat in one's own cellar.

In comparison to other well-known domestic heating technologies, the fuel cell heating system has the highest potential for primary energy savings:

Field tests clearly showed that system optimisation of the forerunner series had reached its limits. The decision to develop a smaller system with an electrical output of 1.0 kW was inevitable:

• More operating time at nominal load; Advantage: higher utilisation degree
  
  
• Demand-oriented modulation in the summer months; result: better operating times over the year
  
  
• 1.0 kWel / 1.7 kWth: better ratio of power generation to heat generation; result: longer running times, 5,000 h compared to 1,500 h per annum with conventional technology
  

Here, the GAMMA 1.0 is already operating convincingly:

• A high degree of electrical efficiency at full and partial load
  
  
• Excellent modulation performance from 100 % to, in future, 30 % of nominal load
  
  
• Short start times and stop times
  
  
• A low operating temperature for the PEM¹⁾ fuel cell

Individual consumption habits and regional conditions influence the total energy demand. These can be controlled optimally by integrating the GAMMA 1.0 into an overall system: combined with a heat storage tank and an energy manager, this achieves the greatest possible savings potential.


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