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PEM fuel cell CHP (H2 to power + heat)

Techno-economic screening of a PEM fuel cell cogeneration system: electricity, recovered heat, H2 consumption and electricity-only LCOE from a hydrogen feed.

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Open Jack

Founder · OpenJack

Inputs

Nameplate net electrical output of the fuel cell system.

kW

min 0.3 · max 1000 · step 0.1 · kW

Average annual utilization relative to rated power.

min 5 · max 100 · step 1 · %

System electrical efficiency at rated load, LHV basis. Default 0.42 reflects deployed PEMFC micro-CHP (DOE 42-47%, ENE-FARM ~38%); raise toward 0.5-0.6 for best-in-class/target systems.

min 0.3 · max 0.62 · step 0.01 · fraction

Recoverable heat fraction of H2 LHV energy.

min 0.2 · max 0.55 · step 0.01 · fraction

All-in delivered hydrogen cost used for the fuel term.

EUR/kg

min 0 · max 30 · step 0.5 · EUR/kg

Used to compute the capital recovery factor (CRF).

min 0 · max 0.2 · step 0.005 · ratio

Economic lifetime for CAPEX annualization.

years

min 1 · max 40 · step 1 · years

Annual fixed O&M as a fraction of total CAPEX.

min 0 · max 0.3 · step 0.005 · fraction

Installed system specific CAPEX at the reference size.

EUR/kW

min 500 · max 20000 · step 100 · EUR/kW

Results

Electrical efficiency (LHV)

…fraction

Total CHP efficiency (LHV)

…fraction

Annual electricity output

…MWh/year

Annual recovered heat

…MWh/year

Annual hydrogen consumption

…kg/year

Total system CAPEX

…EUR

Annualized CAPEX

…EUR/year

Total annual cost

…EUR/year

Levelized cost of electricity (electricity-only)

…EUR/MWh

About

Calculator context

Screening calculator for a PEM fuel cell combined heat and power (CHP) unit fed with hydrogen. Computes electrical and total CHP efficiency, annual electricity and recovered heat, annual hydrogen consumption, annualized CAPEX via the capital recovery factor, and the electricity-only levelized cost of electricity (LCOE, no heat credit). Grounded on FCH 2 JU / Clean Hydrogen Partnership micro-CHP KPIs, US DOE stationary CHP targets, and IEA hydrogen cost references. Fuel cost dominates the LCOE at realistic hydrogen prices.

Model

40 variables — inputs, calculations and outputs, with their dependencies.

40 variables shown of 40
VariableValueUnitDepends on
5kW—
85%—
0.42fraction—
0.4fraction—
8EUR/kg—
0.08ratio—
10years—
0.05fraction—
5500EUR/kW—
VariableFormulaUnitDepends on
if((<=)+((*0.01)<)+((*0.01)>)+(<=)+(>)+(<)+(>)+((+)>)+(<)+(<)+(<=)+(<)+(<=)>,,)bool
* (*0.01)h/year
clamp( - * max((*0.01) - , ), , )fraction
fraction
/ max( * , )kg/MWh
* clamp(( / )^, , )EUR/kW
if(<,/max(,), * ( + )^ / max(( + )^ - , ))fraction
* EUR/year
* EUR/year
VariableFormulaUnitDepends on
* fraction
+ fraction
* / MWh/year
* kg/year
* / max(, )MWh/year
* EUR
* EUR/year
+ + EUR/year
/ max(, )EUR/MWh

Assumptions

10 assumptions used in the calculations

  • Structural unit constant for comparisons and CRF.

    1
    Dimensionless structural constant.

  • Structural zero constant for guards and floors.

    0
    Dimensionless structural constant.

  • Lower heating value of hydrogen used for energy balance.

    Market range 33.3 kWh/kg (LHV); 39.4 kWh/kg (HHV).

    33.33kWh/kg
    US DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office; NREL TP-5400-91674.

  • Capacity factor above which a mild part-load/sustained-load efficiency penalty applies.

    0.9fraction
    Modeling choice consistent with stationary FC operating envelopes.

  • Slope of the efficiency penalty beyond the capacity-factor knee.

    0.2fraction
    Modeling choice; small benign sensitivity, ~1 near nominal.

  • Lower bound on the efficiency penalty factor.

    0.85fraction
    Modeling choice; bounds derating at high sustained load.

  • Reference system size at which the specific CAPEX is quoted.

    5kW
    FCH 2 JU residential micro-CHP class (0.3-5 kW).

  • Economy-of-scale exponent for specific CAPEX vs size (larger = cheaper per kW).

    Market range Typical equipment scaling exponents -0.1 to -0.3.

    -0.15
    Modeling choice; mild scaling, neutral at reference size.

  • Lower clamp on the CAPEX scaling multiplier.

    0.5fraction
    Modeling choice; prevents unrealistic cost collapse at large size.

  • Upper clamp on the CAPEX scaling multiplier.

    2fraction
    Modeling choice; caps cost penalty at very small size.

Sources

Primary reference

FCH 2 JU / Clean Hydrogen Partnership MAWP KPIs; US DOE stationary CHP targets; IEA Global Hydrogen Review 2024