Nov 25 2010
EnerSys® (NYSE: ENS), the global leader in stored energy solutions for industrial applications, sold an Extended Run Time Solution™ hydrogen fuel cell system to Time Warner Cable and installed it at Time Warner Cable's facility in Southern California.
The innovative 30kW fuel cell system, which applies Altergy Systems' proprietary Freedom Power® hydrogen proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel-cell technology, will provide environmentally clean reserve power in the event of a commercial grid outage, and ensure Time Warner Cable customers continued digital telephone, internet and video services without interruption.
Time Warner Cable also is using a time-saving fill-in-place system, which enables the replacement of hydrogen in the fuel cells without switching cylinders. Altergy introduced this technology to the telecommunications industry more than two years ago.
"With the installation of this fuel cell system, Time Warner's superior service reliability will now be even better," said Jon Tennies, Time Warner Cable facility supervisor. "In addition to providing our customers with the highest quality services, this reserve power system will help us reach the State of California's goals for improving air quality, secure our energy future by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and cut our petroleum dependency."
The hydrogen fuel cell system replaces the need for a diesel generator and liquid fuel tank that normally would be deployed for backup power during a commercial power outage. Unlike the diesel generator that uses petroleum fuel for combustion, the Time Warner Cable fuel cell system derives electricity from hydrogen in an electrochemical reaction. The byproducts of this process are only heat and water, with no greenhouse gas emissions and very little noise during operation. In addition to reducing maintenance requirements to a negligible level, this technology is sustainable because hydrogen fuel is a renewable resource.