Tech Directions- October 2008

ing lot or any other place where you could plug it in to generate electricity and be paid for that electricity? The parking lot actually becomes a generating station—competing for customers to park there, offering the best rates to attract cars. A modest 500-car parking lot could generate 20 MW of power, more than enough to supply a number of large downtown ofﬁce buildings. The parking lot owner can then sell that power to a nearby ofﬁce building at a rate probably less expensive than traditional utility-supplied power, since the cost of transmitting and distributing the power from remote generating station sites need not be factored into the bill. Might ofﬁce buildings buy or construct their own parking lots and pay employees to park there? At night, the building goes dark, and if it needs power, it can sip it from the local utility. What would that mean to today’s electric utilities? Shift gears now and park your car at a shopping mall or grocery store. While you park there, you earn money you can spend at the stores! Apartment houses with parking lots could reduce tenant living expenses by using their fuel cell-powered cars as a revenue source. What about truck and bus ﬂeets, and service vehicles for water and telephone utilities? What about U.P.S., Federal Express, and postal service truck ﬂeets? They could be pumping back power when they are not out on the road. A 75 kW fuel cell for a bus or truck could make things very interesting. A 100-bus garage or 100-truck parking depot could pump back about 8 MW of power at night. What about governmental buildings and public use buildings? They could be sending back power too from their parking lots. And don’t forget municipal parking lots. They could also become generating stations. Perhaps they will provide a nice source of revenue to supplement municipal budgets. The cars of teachers parked at a school could provide the electric power to operate the school. When they leave at night, the school slowly shuts down and uses what it needs from the electric utility grid. This really changes things doesn’t it? Think about what happens to developing countries that have many small villages and hamlets scattered around the country and no electric PARK & EARN electricity? Will we need fewer large generating plants in the future? 2. Imagine yourself a utility executive. What does the fuel-cell car mean to you and your business? Many utility companies sell both electricity and natural gas. Would an executive in charge of an electric and gas combination utility see this technology differently than one who is just selling electricity or natural gas? 3. How might this technology reduce the problem of large-scale blackouts that can jeopardize the productive capacity of Using fuel cells in our cars would an entire state? On be a huge benefit for reducing the subject of terair pollution, and doing so would rorism, might local sources of generahelp us reduce our dependence on tion make it very difforeign oil. ﬁcult for terrorists to knock out a utility grid when people grid to service them. A clean fuel cellcould simply turn their cars on to powered car could provide life-giving power their homes and businesses? electric services like refrigeration, What are the pros and cons of fuel communications, water pumping and cell-powered cars? ﬁltration, sanitation, and lights. This 4. If people can plug in their cars could quickly bring civilization to in their garages and take on fuel and remote areas and raise the standard produce electricity, what safety conof living for so many people. cerns might there be? What about This is an interesting example hydrogen being handled within the of how technological change could car’s systems itself? How safe would rumble through the social, economic, a fuel cell-powered car be in an acand environmental fabric of society. cident? Again, examine the pros We normally think of the car as havand cons of the new technology. Is ing a negative impact on society. it likely that hydrogen-refueling staWhen equipped with a fuel cell and tions could become as commonplace able to connect to the electric grid, as gasoline stations? it suddenly can become a force for 5. How can the fuel cell-powered good: cleaning the environment of car change the economy of owning both internal combustion engine exa car? Examine the costs associated haust and electric power plant emiswith owning and operating a car, sions; turning the currently costly realizing the ﬁrst and recurring costs car into a revenue-generating device; that are involved. By having a car improving the reliability of our electhat not only serves as a transportatric system; and giving us the ability tion device, but a source of income, to provide power to our citizens even what kinds of changes might this after large storms, brownouts, or make from an economic viewpoint natural disasters. for the owner? If you are a car salesperson selling this car, how would you market the car to a buyer? Discussion Questions 6. How might this technology for Students Fuel cell-powered cars offer educhange our dependence on foreign oil? cators and students many excellent discussion opportunities: Author’s note: By the way, thanks, 1. How do you think this technolDad, for planting that idea in my ogy might change how we generate head so long ago! 18 techdirections ◆ OCTOBER 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Tech Directions- October 2008

Tech Directions Technically Speaking Contents Direct from Washington The Report Technology's Past Technology Today Mastering Computers Automotive Power and Energy Technology Education Career Directions Electronics Special Feature More than fun

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.