Grid Connection of Fuel cells also offer many advantages when connected to the grid. So many advantages, in fact, that utility company are major investors in several of the fuel cell development startups. Connecting fuel cells to the grid allows utility companies to incrementally increase capacity without the capital outlays required in building new power plants. Unlike PV or wind power, residential fuel cells are available to supplement grid power on demand, regardless of weather, day or night.
Reliability: Fuel cells offer an efficient way to convert chemical energy directly into electrical energy; as any mechanic knows, the fewer moving parts, the better. The fuel cell stack itself is the picture of simplicity, quietly producing electrical power without a single moving part.
Fuel cells have highly consistent performance with reliability estimates in some configurations reaching 99.9999%. Fuel cell systems can be installed for fixed applications in hospitals, nursing homes, hotels, office buildings, schools and utility power plants. In addition to being used as the primary source of power, in some cases, fuel cells can be used for standby power to ensure uninterrupted power delivery in hospitals or other businesses that are highly sensitive to power disruptions.
Dependability: Fuel cells offer high-quality power for critical applications and are part of a distributed generation solution that can reduce the impact and occurrence of blackouts, brownouts and voltage sags. On-site applications locate power near the consumer, thus eliminating transmission, theft, and distribution losses, which can be as much as 40%.