Panasonic has opened its first residential fuel cell R&D centre in Langen, Germany. The new facility, called the Panasonic Fuel Cell Development Office Europe (PFCOE), is located in Panasonic’s European R&D centre in Germany (PRDCG). It will work along with leading utility companies in Europe to develop residential fuel cells mainly for the European market.
Since 1999, Panasonic has been manufacturing residential fuel cells (micro CHP). In May 2009, the company launched the ENE FARM system in Japan. Currently, it is planning to expand its operations in Europe and the new R&D centre will help realize this goal.
The Langen center will mainly concentrate on developing and preparing the fuel cells to show the diverse operational conditions between Japan and Europe. The functioning of fuel cells relies on the combination of natural gas and therefore, the fuel cell needs to adjust to European gas conditions. Through a chemical reaction between hydrogen from natural gas and oxygen in the atmosphere, the fuel cell micro CHP can produce electricity. The heat produced through this process can also be used for hot water supplies and home heating purposes.
Annually, a house in Japan can save nearly 1.5 tons of CO2 emissions with an ENE FARM fuel cell when compared to a house that uses a gas heating system and thermal power station for electricity.
Panasonic Europe’s Chairman and CEO, Laurent Abadie said that the company has a goal to achieve a top position in green innovation in the consumer electronics industry by the year 2018.