ORAL Presentation / F What are the opportunities for natural gas in homes and businesses of the future? MCHP FUEL CELLS

摘要

The energy market is undergoing profound change. Inter-fuel competition has never been more intense. As it is the market with the highest energy demand, the residential and commercial heating market has come under significant pressure in most European countries. The situation can be described as follows: ? Downward trend in heat demand due to more stringent building insulation requirements ? Emergence of highly efficient electrical appliances ? Rising trend in demand for renewable energies ? Weakening perception of natural gas as a clean fuel ? Relative absence of new gas technologies on the market The gas industry is facing new challenges: it has to cope with effects from changes in legislation and meet its customers' expectations and new requirements on the market. Teaming up with its market partners, the gas industry needs to initiate further developments, offer technical options which include mCHP and renewable energies to ensure that the heat requirements of buildings are met in an optimum manner, restore the image of natural gas as a clean and innovative fuel and demonstrate that gas technology is indispensable for achieving the targets set for global climate protection. The paper discusses the aspects of future technologies for the residential and commercial heating market. It also stresses the gas industry's task of promoting and marketing new technologies and evaluating their potential for generating additional revenue along the value chain. It focuses on mCHP and fuel cells from the perspective of German energy suppliers in general and, more specifically, of E.ON Ruhrgas and provides some information about the company's motivation and activities.