Nov 21 2012
The strongest drivers for the adoption of fuel cells by the world's armed forces are performance and energy density, particularly for use by individual troopers. On average, each soldier carries around nine pounds of disposable batteries in their kit, used for powering a range of portable electronics such as imaging and communications equipment.
The burden on today's soldiers to carry more and more high-tech equipment is increasing, and the batteries required to power all this equipment already constitutes an impractical percentage of total weight. Fuel cells, with a far greater energy density than conventional military batteries, represent an excellent means of lightening the load for soldiers and systems in the field.
Like batteries, fuel cells produce electrical energy through an electrochemical process. Unlike batteries, fuel cells are "conversion" devices that change some kind of chemical fuel into electricity. Like combustion engines, fuel cells convert fuel into energy, but in this case, the energy is electricity rather than kinetic (movement) or heat.
Fuel cell users and integrators, power generator makers, end users, distributors, military personnel, financial institutions and academic and research institutions who need access to market forecasts, market sizes, company profiles and key macroeconomic trends will benefit from three executive-level market research reports available at www.GiiResearch.com by Global Information Inc. (GII).
Fuel Cells for Residential, Commercial and Military Power
The global market for residential, commercial, and military fuel cells was valued at $439 million in 2011 and should reach nearly $569 million in 2012. Total market value is expected to reach nearly $1.7 billion in 2017 after increasing at a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24.2%.
Key highlights from the report include: the solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) segment is expected to have a value of nearly $302 million in 2012 and nearly $1.2 billion in 2017, a CAGR of 31%; As a segment, polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) should total $175 million in 2012 and $339 million in 2017, a CAGR of 14.1%; and other fuel cells are expected to total $92 million in 2012 and $176 million in 2017, a CAGR of 13.9%.
An Executive Summary for this report and free sample pages from the full document are available at http://www.giiresearch.com/report/bc254496-fuel-cells-residential-commercial-military-power.html
Fuel Cells for Military Applications
The U.S. military is the single largest consumer of energy in the world. As such, the volatility of the international oil markets represents a significant strategic risk to the operational capabilities of the U.S. Armed Forces. Realizing the need to mitigate this strategic vulnerability, U.S. military leaders are actively promoting the development of new technologies, including fuel cells. The increased emphasis on energy security and efficiency, particularly under the complex and challenging operational conditions encountered in remote battlefield environments such as Afghanistan, represents a significant opportunity for fuel cell manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). According to a recent report from Pike Research, shipments of fuel cells for military applications will increase to more than 272,000 in 2017, from just over 1,200 in 2011.
This report examines the stationary, transport, and portable power applications for fuel cell technologies currently being explored and validated by the U.S. Department of Defense, including a detailed analysis of market drivers as well as potential barriers to adoption. Forecasts through 2017 are also provided for those technologies and applications that are deemed as offering a realistic possibility of being deployed within that timeframe.
An Executive Summary for this report and free sample pages from the full document are available at http://www.giiresearch.com/report/pike208749-fuel-cells-military-applications-soldier-wearable.html
Fuel Cell, Engine, and Turbine Technologies for Cogeneration in Commercial, Institutional, and Municipal Buildings: Global Market Analysis and Forecasts
Driven By low natural gas prices, the global market for combined heat and power for commercial buildings will surpass $11 billion in market value by 2022.
Europe currently leads the market for commercial combined heat and power (CHP) installations, with North America a close second. Over the next decade, though, according to the report, Asia Pacific will be the hottest market for CHP in commercial buildings, with a compound annual growth rate of nearly 20 percent. Growth rates in Africa and the Middle East will also be high, but these markets will be dwarfed by those in Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific.
An Executive Summary for this report and free sample pages from the full document are available at http://www.giiresearch.com/report/pike248621-combined-heat-power-commercial-buildings-fuel-cell.html