Advantages:
More detailed information is available in the applications section, which offers information specific to each industry.
- High Efficiency- when utilizing co-generation, fuel cells can attain over 80% energy efficiency
- Good reliability- quality of power provided does not degrade over time.
- Noise- offers a much more silent and smooth alternative to conventional energy production.
- Environmentally beneficial- greatly reduces CO2 and harmful pollutant emissions.
- Size reduction- fuel cells are significantly lighter and more compact
- Expensive to manufacture due the high cost of catalysts (platinum)
- Lack of infrastructure to support the distribution of hydrogen
- A lot of the currently available fuel cell technology is in the prototype stage and not yet validated.
- Hydrogen is expensive to produce and not widely available