Study of PEFC Commercial Model for Residential Use

PEFC is expected to be the new generation system for residential use. This system supplies electricity and hot water, so this system has capability of energy use saving. In order to introduce this system, however, several conditions must be overcome, for example, equipment cost, gas cost, electric selling and buying cost, and optimum operation pattern etc. In this paper, we discuss optimum operation pattern for residential heat and electrical demand, energy cost in a year, and economical evaluation of PEFC system. As results of the study, the most economical output is 500W_??_1.2kW for residence. For the 1.0_??_1.2kW PEFC system, load following operation is the most economical, and for the 0.5_??_1.0kW PEFC system, constant rated output operation is the most economical. Key points to pervade PEFC system is that gas cost needs to be reduce to 70-90yen/Nm3 and that PEFC system price must be reduced to 300, 000_??_500, 000 yen/kW.