Ceres Power
Encyclopedia
Ceres Power is a UK-based company that is developing a fuel-cell boiler
for the UK domestic CHP market.
The boiler produces both heat and electricity. The design is small enough to be wall-mounted and is therefore compatible with the layout of most central heating systems in the UK.
At the heart of the system is a fuel-cell stack that uses ceramic inks to turn gas into electricity. It consumes domestic gas (natural gas, LPG or biofuels), and produces power in a quiet electro-chemical process.
Specifically, the stack is a low cost and low temperature (500-600 degrees) Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) stack using cerium gadolinium oxide (CGO) in place of current industry standard ceramic, Yttria-stabilized zirconia
(YSZ), which allows the use of a stainless steel substrate to support the ceramic.
Ceres have agreements with British Gas
and Calor Gas
for marketing the product in Great Britain
, and with Bord Gáis Éireann (‘BGE’) for the island of Ireland
(including both the Republic of Ireland
and Northern Ireland
).
Home fuel cell
A home fuel cell, also called micro combined heat and power and microgeneration, is a residential-scaled clean energy system. A home fuel cell is an alternative energy technology that increases efficiency by simultaneously generating power and heat from one unit, on-site within a home...
for the UK domestic CHP market.
The boiler produces both heat and electricity. The design is small enough to be wall-mounted and is therefore compatible with the layout of most central heating systems in the UK.
At the heart of the system is a fuel-cell stack that uses ceramic inks to turn gas into electricity. It consumes domestic gas (natural gas, LPG or biofuels), and produces power in a quiet electro-chemical process.
Specifically, the stack is a low cost and low temperature (500-600 degrees) Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) stack using cerium gadolinium oxide (CGO) in place of current industry standard ceramic, Yttria-stabilized zirconia
Yttria-stabilized zirconia
Yttria-stabilized zirconia is a zirconium-oxide based ceramic, in which the particular crystal structure of zirconium oxide is made stable at room temperature by an addition of yttrium oxide...
(YSZ), which allows the use of a stainless steel substrate to support the ceramic.
Ceres have agreements with British Gas
British Gas
British Gas is the name of several companies:* British Gas plc, the former gas monopoly in the United Kingdom and its successor companies** Centrica, which has the rights to the British Gas name in the UK...
and Calor Gas
for marketing the product in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, and with Bord Gáis Éireann (‘BGE’) for the island of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
(including both the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
).