Fuel Cells for

Warren Leon and Alexei Ponomarov July 2011 ii Clean Energy states alliance

ABOUT THIS SERIES This briefing paper is one of five papers on fuel cells and hydrogen technologies produced by Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA). These papers are part of a larger education and outreach initiative by CESA to inform and engage state policymakers about the benefits of fuel cells, their use in critical power applications, and model state policies to support them as well as information about hydrogen production and storage, The five briefing papers are:

• Fuel Cell Technology: A Clean, Reliable Source of Stationary Power • Stationary Fuel Cells and Critical Power Applications • Advancing Stationary Fuel Cells through State Policies • Hydrogen Production and Storage • Fuel Cells for Supermarkets

For further information on CESA’s hydrogen and fuel cell activities, and to download the briefing papers, please visit www.cleanenergystates.org/projects/hydrogen-and-fuel-cells.

A c k n o w l e d g e m e n ts Lewis Milford of Clean Energy Group, Maria Blais of Clean Energy States Alliance, and Carole Read and Gregory Kleen of the US Department of Energy reviewed a draft of the briefing paper and provided valuable comments. The following people provided us with helpful information and advice: Dustin Lilya and Pete Pearson (, SuperValu), Rick M. Ross (Connecticut Clean Energy Fund), L. Scott Larsen (NYSERDA), Frank Blake and Benny Smith (Price Chopper), Michael Glynn and Homer Purcell (UTC Power), David J. Allar (Wegmans), and Kathy Loftus and Lindsay Lehfeld ().

FI N A n c IA L S U P P O R T Support for this report was generously provided by Clean Energy States Alliance and the Department of Energy’s Hydrogen Education State Partnership Project.

D IS c l AI M ER Clean Energy States Alliance does not assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product or process that is referred to in this report. References in this report to any specific commercial prod­uct, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation or favoring neither by the United States Government or any agency thereof, nor of the individual members of Clean Energy States Alliance. The views and opinions expressed in this series of reports do not necessarily state or re­flect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof, nor the individual members­ of the Clean Energy States Alliance. Fuel Cells for Supermarkets 1

Introduction

upermarkets are turning out to be an important new technology, it makes sense to concentrate on a few early market for stationary fuel cells. State clean niche markets where it can gain traction and become self- energy agencies that are interested in helping sustaining, rather than trying to spread the technology to bring fuel cell technology into widespread use thinly over a small number of random installations in would be well-served by explicitly supporting diverse settings. fuelS cells for supermarkets as a key market niche. The early installations among chains have created growing visibility for fuel cell technology within the The Appeal of Fuel Cells for Supermarkets industry. This is starting to stimulate other supermarket In recent decades, supermarkets have grown larger and companies to want to learn about fuel cells and consider some have moved to 24-hour operation, 7 days a week. emulating the early adopters. Stores have added large banks of freezers and refrigerated Beyond the essential starting point that fuel cells are cases, as well as sections where prepared foods are cooked a good match for the energy needs of supermarkets, and kept warm. These changes have not only significantly there are other reasons why this is a promising niche: increased the electrical, heating, and cooling loads of • Supermarket chains own multiple stories. As in the cases supermarkets, but have made them well-suited to take of Price Chopper and Whole Foods Market described advantage of the electricity and heat provided by fuel cells. below, a company that climbs the steep learning curve Fuel cells provide a constant supply of electricity, which for the first installation can then take what it has learned is just what these new supermarkets need. The heat pro- and apply it to additional installations in other stores. duced by the fuel cells can be used for a variety of purposes, Each new installation becomes easier and better from heating water to running absorption chillers for cool- adapted to the specific needs of the company. ing the stores. Using both outputs is key to the economics • Because of their many customers, supermarkets can of a supermarket strategy for fuel cells, and also yields educate large numbers of people about fuel cells significant greenhouse gas emission reductions and other through information panels and educational materials environmental benefits. The total efficiency of supermarkets’ in those stores that have fuel cells. fuel cell systems can be quite high—often twice or more • Supermarket chains can use fuel-cell-powered fork- efficient as getting power from a central utility. lifts and other materials handling equipment at their Because supermarket owners need to worry about distribution centers, as well as stationary fuel cells the risk to the large inventory of cooled and frozen food at their stores. during an interruption of power from the electric grid, they Grants and other incentives from state agencies have appreciate a fuel cell’s ability to keep operating during a been essential to make the initial fuel cell installations blackout. With a fuel cell, a supermarket can remain open possible. Such support will continue to be important in at a time when the surrounding community is vulnerable the coming years. Through it, states can help to advance and in need of supplies. a promising clean energy technology, while helping Recent trends in fuel cell financing have made them important local businesses. more business friendly. Manufacturers and system inte- The rest of this briefing paper describes a few of grators increasingly offer lease arrangements that reduce the early uses of fuel cells at supermarkets. In addition the up-front cost of an installation. Longer initial warranties to these examples, other supermarket companies have and the option of purchasing an extended warranty used fuel cells, including Central Grocers, H.E. Butt reduce the risk to the supermarket company. Grocery Com-pany, Safeway, , Stop & Shop, and Wal-Mart. Reasons for State Agencies to Target Supermarkets Albertsons Implements a Model Installation Fuel cells clearly have appeal for supermarkets, but A 50,000 square-foot Albertsons supermarket that opened why might state agencies want to give special attention in San Diego, California in 2010 is being powered by a to supermarkets? Most importantly, to commercialize a PureCell 400-kilowatt fuel cell system from UTC Power. The 2 Clean Energy states alliance

system was leased from UTC, reducing Albertsons’ up-front independent power during a electric grid power outage. costs and risks. “Particularities of the interconnection with the grid in San The fuel cell provides about 90% of the electricity Diego area were unknown to us,” comments Pearson. “But that the store needs. Albertsons is also using almost all of we communicated with San Diego Gas & Electric; they the heat produced by the system for heating and cooling. provided us with the requirements to safely disconnect In the case of a power outage, the fuel cell can generate from the grid.” enough energy on-site to power the building. Because As advice for other companies that may want to con- of the use of the heat, the total efficiency of the system is sider installing a fuel cell, Pearson points out that “you about 60% (nearly twice as high as relying on the electric have to have adequate gas and electrical connections grid) and the store’s annual carbon footprint is reduced that could run in parallel with the fuel cell. Furthermore,

by 478 metric tons of CO2. In addition, the PureCell system fuel cells are not ‘one size fits all’. You have to work closely is designed to operate in water-balance, saving millions with the vendor and the utility company and, of course, of gallons of water annually when compared to traditional get the financial piece settled first.” Because a fuel cell is power generation. still a relatively new technology, the company “has to make Pete Pearson, Director of Sustainability and National sure there is proper service and support provided from Accounts for SuperValu, Albertsons’ parent company, the vendor’s side. We negotiated a clause with UTC to explains that the company weighed its energy options as assure that we have availability of parts and service con- part of the planning process for the new store. “At the very tractors in case of malfunction of the fuel cell. UTC Power beginning of the project, we thought of implementing a has a remote control system which can track the operation system that would provide clean energy for our facility. of the fuel cell and dispatch service technicians within We considered solar installations but a fuel cell seemed to 24 hours to repair it.” be the perfect solution. We wanted to help the environ- It has been important to Albertsons to let shoppers ment, reduce our carbon footprint, and gain operational know that the store is powered by the fuel cell. The store efficiency. We performed a thorough engineering and therefore features abundant signage about it and the com- financial analysis before proceeding with implementation. pany will highlight the fuel cell in the store’s upcoming And now the system is in place and is working just fine one-year anniversary celebration. and as expected.” Federal and state financial incentives were necessary Price Chopper: One Fuel Cell Leads to Another to make the project financially feasible. Especially impor- Price Chopper’s experience shows how an initial successful tant was a grant from California’s Self-Generation Incentive fuel cell installation can lead to additional installations. Program through San Diego Gas & Electric. The supermarket chain, which is based in Schenectedy, New Albertsons also needed to learn about and give special York and has 128 stores in six Northeast states, started by attention to the interconnection process, especially because installing a fuel cell in its Colonie, store. It then of the company’s desire for the fuel cell to be available as moved on to install a fuel cell in its Glenville, New York location, and more recently installed a third system in Middletown, Connecticut. Price Chopper started to investigate fuel cell projects because of concerns about the instability in electricity prices and the price spikes of 2007. Grants from the state of New York through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) were essential to achieving an appropriate return on investment for the Colonie and Glenville projects. With grants of roughly $800,000 for each project, the price of each fuel cell went down to between $1 million and $1.5 million. Significantly, Price Chopper’s management projects a five-year payback period. “Without the grants, the projects would not have been approved,” notes Benny Smith, Vice President of Facilities at Price Chopper. The Colonie project was the first field-connected installation of UTC Power’s new 400-kilowatt PureCell The fuel cell at an Albertsons supermarket in San Diego. system. Price Chopper is leasing the fuel cell, which was installed in June 2009. It generates up to 70% of the store’s Fuel Cells for Supermarkets 3

Price Chopper’s first fuel cell installation in Colonie, New York.

required energy during the summer and the entire amount For one thing, battery charging, with up to three of electricity needed during the winter. The system also battery changes a day, can disrupt work flow, whereas captures the heat produced by the fuel cell, which is used fuel cell refueling proceeds quickly. In addition, fuel cells for hot water, refrigeration, air conditioning, snow melting, ensure constant power delivery and performance. As and floor heating. Jennifer Gangi of Fuel Cells 2000 notes, they avoid “the A key benefit of the fuel cell is that it provides the reduction in voltage output that occurs as batteries dis- store with an uninterrupted power supply. In case of a charge and the numerous interruptions in current input grid failure, the supermarket will continue to operate and output electric forklifts experience due to the frequent at full capacity independently of the electric grid. starting and stopping during use.”1 Price Chopper is convinced that fuel cells are a perfect In March 2010, Wegmans, a supermarket company match for supermarkets. As Smith points out, “Supermar- with stores in six eastern states, purchased nine hydrogen- kets are a great facility to apply fuel cell technology because powered forklifts for its Retail Service Center at Highridge we are operating 24-7 year-round. It’s not like an office Business Park in Pottsville, . The forklifts were building where you go home at five o’clock and the manufactured by Plug Power, one of several suppliers of lights go off.” fuel-cell materials-handling equipment. A $1 million grant from the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority Wegmans Switches Forklifts helped make the project possible. Supermarket chains’ distribution centers run 24 hours a The employees at Wegmans were not only trained on day, 7 days a week. In these large indoor spaces, battery- how to operate the new forklifts, but were also educated powered forklifts are usually used for materials handling, about hydrogen and fuel cells, as well as the financial and because they do not produce any emissions. But battery- environmental reasons for adopting the new technology. powered systems also have disadvantages and fuel cell “The new equipment with the fuel cells was a huge technology has recently been proving itself to be a hit”, said David J. Allar, the Maintenance Manager at the sound, practical alternative. Wegmans Center. “Employees are highly satisfied with

1 Jennifer Gangi, “Fuel Cell-Powered Forklifts: Raising the Bar,” Industrial Utility Vehicle & Mobile Equipment Magazine (May–June 2008). Available at http://www.iuvmag.com/articles/2008_05-05.html 4 Clean Energy states alliance

the new forklifts. They don’t need to wait for the battery “The fuel cells have performed far beyond our ex- to be charged or changed any more. Operators can refill pectations,” concludes Allar. “There was nothing that in- the fuel cells with hydrogen at their convenience. Refuel- terrupted our operations in the least and the employees’ ing takes several minutes and lasts for about two shifts.” reception of the new technology was incredible.” With the use of the fuel cells, Wegmans was able to It is unsurprising that Wegmans has added to its fuel avoid the addition of 60 lead-acid batteries, changing cell fleet and currently has 37 forklifts in operation. The equipment, and more staff to maintain and change the company is now looking to expand its use of fuel cells batteries. Moreover, Wegmans determined that imple- to yard tractors and refrigerated trailers at the Retail menting forklifts with fuel cells in just the produce area Service Center. of the Retail Service Center reduced the company’s carbon emissions by an amount equivalent to removing 134 cars Whole Foods Thinks Holistically from the road. Whole Foods is serious about “whole energy” as well. Another important benefit of the hydrogen-powered The company takes a systematic, holistic approach that forklifts is that, once installed, they do not require any seeks to reduce energy use at all stages in a store’s life- special charging space. Rooms that were previously used cycle, from store design and construction through engi- to recharge the lead-acid batteries can now be used as neering, procurement, relationships with suppliers, and additional space for product storage. According to Allar, maintenance. As part of the search for the best energy just gaining this extra space was a large enough financial solutions, the company has experimented with fuel cells advantage to the company to almost pay for the fuel cells. and installed them in four stores in California, Connecticut, and . In San Jose, California, a UTC 400-kilowatt PureCell system installed in 2010 is generating more than 90% of the store’s needs. The heat produced by the fuel cell is being used for heating and cooling, as well as for refrig- eration of the produce in the store. Because the system takes advantage of both the electricity and heat generated by the fuel cell, it is approximately 60 percent efficient. Whole Foods Market estimates that the installation reduces its carbon footprint by 370 metric tons of carbon dioxide each year. The California Energy Commission provided valuable support to make the installation possible. Two stores in Connecticut have been equipped with UTC Power fuel cells. In Fairfield, another 400 kilowatt UTC Power fuel cell has been installed. The project received a grant of $731,291 from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund as part of that agency’s On-Site Renewable Distributed Generation Program. A 46,000-sq-foot-store in Glastonbury, Connecticut was Whole Foods Market’s first fuel cell installation in 2008 and the first supermarket in the world to get most of its energy from a fuel cell. Like the other three installa- tions, this one is configured to operate independently of the electric grid if necessary. A 200-kilowatt UTC Power fuel cell is able to provide enough energy for the store to operate without interruption in case of a grid failure. The system provides half of the store’s electricity needs and all of the required hot water. A fuel cell has also been put in place in Dedham, Massachusetts with help from a grant from the Massa- chusetts Renewable Energy Trust. The 400-kilowatt fuel One of the fuel-cell-powered forklifts being used at the cell generates most of the electricity for the store. “With Wegmans Retail Service Center. the combined power generated from our fuel cell and solar panels, the Dedham store is essentially able to generate Fuel Cells for Supermarkets 5

The fuel cell at Whole Foods Mar- ket’s store in Fairfield. Connecticut.

almost 100 percent of its power needs onsite with clean affordable until Genco Supply Chain Solutions received energy resources,” observes Kathy Loftus, Global Leader a $6.1 million award from the US Department of Energy of Sustainable Engineering, Maintenance and Energy for through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Whole Foods Market. The clean energy systems help the Now, by introducing the new forklifts, Whole Foods has company reduce its carbon footprint by 764 metric tons reduced the 4,000 hours in labor time that it took annually of CO2 per year. to recharge the batteries of the previous folklifts to only Whole Foods Market has also started to use fuel-cell- 250 hours. powered forklifts. Sixty-one forklifts are in operation at But the company is not stopping there. As Loftus a distribution center in Landover, . Although notes, “Whole Foods also hopes to retrofit one or two the company had been aware of the labor-saving virtues sites with 100-kilowatt, solid-oxide fuel cells from of fuel-cell-powered forklifts, the equipment was not Energy of Sunnyvale, California, in the near future.” Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) is a national nonprofit coalition of state clean energy funds and programs working together to develop and promote clean energy technologies and markets. CESA provides information sharing,technical assistance services and a collaborative network for its members by coordinating multi-state efforts, leveraging funding for projects and research, and assisting members with program development and evaluation.

Many states across the U.S. have established public benefit funds to support the deployment and commercialization of clean energy technologies. More than twenty states are actively participating in CESA membership activites. Though these clean energy funds, states are investing hundreds of millions of public dollars each year to stimulate the technology innovation process, moving wind, solar, biomass, and hydrogen technologies out of the laboratory and toward wider use and application in business, residential, agricultural, community and industrial settings. State clean energy funds are pioneering new investment models and demonstrating leadership to create practical clean energy solutions for the 21st century.

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