Imagine if George Jetson had his own microbrewery; what would it be like? Would the look be sleek and space-like? How much better and fast could it would it operate? How about the mighty S.S. Enterprise? Can you just see Captain Kirk or Captain Picard enjoying a pint of their own galactic brew? And what would power the machine making such out-of-this-world home brews? Hydrogen cells are making waves and news and everything in between in a world where energy shortages are not some economical urban legend.

The Hullabaloo About Home Brews And Hydrogen Cells

What exactly is a hydrogen cell? What does home brewing have to do with energy conservation anyway? Hydrogen cells are a type of fuel cell, which is basically an energy conservation device. Fuel cells produce their own energy, almost always wit the aid of a particular fuel source and an oxidant. Hydrogen cells use hydrogen as the fuel source and oxygen as the oxidant.

Breweries require power to produce their ales and lagers, and really cannot be without electricity at anytime That is where hydrogen fuel cells play an important role; they keep the energy flowing a the wheels turning. And being able to “make” energy in your own backyard is pretty darn cool. This also makes you both energy conscious and quite business savvy. You might even grace the covers of a few magazines.

What are hydrogen fuel cells good for? At the present, they can be looked at as very cool super back-up generators of sorts. Many companies, including a few well-known breweries are looking to fuel cells as a way to be more self-sufficient in terms of energy. This could be good news for the future of making beer as a hobby; home breweries running on hydrogen cells. There would be definite savings in energy consumption.

Can home breweries use hydrogen cells? The hope for those studying and working with fuel cells is that everyone will be able to take advantage of all the benefits that this product has to offer. You would be able to power so much, from your microbrewery to every appliance in your home by using less energy than you are now.

There is not a lot of information on the possible applications of hydrogen fuel cells. While some fuel cells are being used, the extent of what they have to offer is still being explored. The Sierra Nevada Brewery in Chico, CA has implemented the use of molten carbonate fuel cells in 2005 and are projecting a savings of over $400,000 a yeah in energy costs. No matter how you slice that bad boy...wow.