A photovoltaic/fuel cell power system for a remote telecommunications station

The Schatz Energy Research Center (SERC) in cooperation with the Yurok Tribe has designed, built, installed and operated a stand-alone power system integrating photovoltaic and proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell technologies to operate a remote radiotelephone repeater station. Located within Redwood National Park in northwestern California, USA, the station is the most critical link in the Tribe's telecommunications system. Primary power for the station is provided by a conventional PV system with battery storage, but the PV system alone cannot carry the load during the winter rainy season. Whenever necessary, the fuel cell system starts automatically and provides clean, reliable, quiet power that is consistent with the National Park Service's (NPS) conservation ethic. This paper describes the operation of the PV-fuel cell system for the period from November 1999 through June 2000. The fuel cell ran for 3239 hours during this period, providing reliable backup power without interruption.