E.ON has announced that it is investing in Elcore GmbH, a pioneer in fuel cell technology. The company is based in Munich and produces energy-efficient heating systems for single-family homes and duplexes. The heart of the system is an internal developed fuel cell heating technology that generates heat and power simultaneously.
Elcore’s technology has been installed and successfully used in hundreds of buildings over a two-year period, showcasing the technology is fully developed and economically viable. E.ON is now signing contracts to provide these households with carbon neutral biogas through specially tailored contracts, while also covering their remaining power needs with E.ON green electricity.
Philipp Ulbrich, Head of Scouting and Co-Investments at E.ON, said: “The fuel cell is the most efficient technology for use in generating heat and power when upgrading heating systems. It’s another way that we are encouraging a sea change in energy. It means we can now offer customers a way to generate their own electricity without the need to rely on the sun to produce it.”
E.ON is increasingly relying on highly innovative, clean and economical technologies to supply homes with heat. The Elcore fuel cell heating system produces power as cleanly as a solar system and also generates heat. In doing so, the small system achieves an overall efficiency roughly twice that of a large modern power station lacking waste heat recovery.
E.On said this high level of efficiency, along with the use of CO2-neutral bio natural gas, makes the investment advantageous for both owners as well as for the environment.