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Old 01-16-2025, 06:16 AM   #1 (permalink)
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Natural Gas, Fuel Cell CHP system for $ 5000. Good deal?

(Electricity producers waste a lot of heat energy making electricity.
If you make the electricity @Home the useful heat is free rather than wasted.
Or; free electricity for the same heat)

This seems to be a quiet Natural Gas Fuel Cell that produces 4.2 KW of electricity and 7.5KW of heat, for 5600 USD.

That sounds like a good deal to me so far if I lived in a cold, cloudy area?

There are probably a whole lot of Import duties, fees, levies, etc?

https://www.alibaba.com/product-deta...1eef267abSyW9P

Here are other models of varying capacity:
https://sinopowerfc.en.alibaba.com/c...5cb7713btBa8rg

We don't have a gas supply network here, so it's not much use to me, but depending on gas and electricity prices in your area, this may be worth consideration?

I'm also not signed up on Alibaba (to chat) and want to avoid doing so, so haven't asked questions like: " do you just plumb it in downstream of your boiler? What about warm air for the HVAC system? etc...


Last edited by Logic; 01-16-2025 at 06:27 AM..
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Old 01-16-2025, 10:01 AM   #2 (permalink)
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Check the purity needed. Make sure mercaption oderizer won't point the cells.
Living in a cool cloudy area where you need heat at night it's probably not a bad idea.
7.5kw of heat is a bit more than a full size clothes dryer.
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Old 03-07-2025, 10:55 AM   #3 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by oil pan 4 View Post
Check the purity needed. Make sure mercaption oderizer won't point the cells.
Living in a cool cloudy area where you need heat at night it's probably not a bad idea.
7.5kw of heat is a bit more than a full size clothes dryer.
How much heat does a house need (on average) in the colder northern climes there?
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Old 03-07-2025, 11:26 AM   #4 (permalink)
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EPA site:
  • Conventional Generation Overall Efficiency(grid electricity and boiler fuel/gas): 52%
vs.
  • CHP: Overall Efficiency: 80%
  • Reciprocating engine: 75–80 percent
  • Fuel cell: 55–80 percent
  • Avoided Transmission and Distribution Losses: 5.3%
  • Environmental Benefits: Because less fuel is combusted, emissions, such as CO2 etc are reduced.
  • Economic Benefits: Reduced energy costs, CHP can often reduce the cost of replacing heating equipment.

https://www.epa.gov/chp/chp-benefitshttps://www.epa.gov/chp/chp-benefits

NB that that is for a decent sized genset that would produce enough heat and power for 3 to 5 houses.
Small gensets produce less electricity but more heat.



Heat to electric energy ratios for various 'engines':
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Old 03-07-2025, 01:03 PM   #5 (permalink)
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Offtopically, do you follow your country's Rat Rods for Africa? In his latest episode he reintroduces himself, and shows the reassembly of a PICT33 carburetor, which is very helpful for me.
Progress on the Renobug - Assembling the VW Beetle Engine
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Old Today, 12:06 AM   #6 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by freebeard View Post
Offtopically, do you follow your country's Rat Rods for Africa? In his latest episode he reintroduces himself, and shows the reassembly of a PICT33 carburetor, which is very helpful for me.
Progress on the Renobug - Assembling the VW Beetle Engine
1st I've heard/seen of him freebeard.
I don't share your passion for VW Beetles. Few do!
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Old Today, 03:40 AM   #7 (permalink)
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Quote:
I don't share your passion for VW Beetles. Few do!
It's an affliction.


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