I recently got an email from a PR rep about a British fuel cell company called AFC Energy, calling my attention to a promotional video the company produced about fuel cells and about its contribution to the field. Normally I’d skeptical about energy-related promotional materials, which often exaggerate in misleading ways. But I really liked this video, for a few reasons. First, it doesn’t just trumpet the company’s technological prowess; rather, it tells a story about energy and the role that fuel cells have and will play as the energy landscape continues to evolve. Telling stories of this kind is important to help the average person understand why energy matters and why they should care about it. And second, unlike the typical tech heavy promo overburdened with numbers and stats and confusing jargon, this video is charming and funny. Yes, it’s still a promo meant to burnish AFC’s reputation. But that’s OK, too. The video is well-produced, educational, and made me aware of a company doing what seems to be some very good work to push fuel cell technology forward.
Watch the video here:
I’ll start by declaring my interest – I work for life size media, the company that produced this video. However i’m not here just to plug the video; the way we generate our electricity really matters to me.
I’ve been interested in alternative energy solutions for a few years now, having grown up with an awareness that burning fossil fuels in the traditional way is damaging the environment.
A trip to the Centre for Alternative Technology during sixth form lead me to base a product design project on coming up with a small piece of renewable energy generation technology for the home. Since then I’ve been to uni, studied energy and the related political, economic and security issues and am now working for a small organisation which exist to help companies like AFC Energy, with ground-breaking and innovative technology ideas, communicate and network using the power of the web.
So, in brief, that’s my story. At the moment it’s very satisfying to see our work being noticed as it means we’re contributing to the changes that I feel we need to make to the way we generate power. I want these changes because it will mean we can carry on doing what we’re doing and living the lives we want to live. After all, no one wants to feel guilty when they don’t switch off a light – and we shouldn’t have to – we just need to move towards energy generation that doesn’t pollute.
For me the answers can be found, and are being found, through scientific research, innovative design and technology development. The hydrogen fuel-cell based business model is a commercially viable alternative to nuclear on a national scale and has the potential to be central in the transition to an economy based on zero-emission renewables. Quite simply I believe we should promote its use, because it’s in all of our best interest. Now its just a matter of convincing those politicians…
Thanks for this thoughtful post. I take issue with just one point, though. While technology research and development are crucial and making huge strides, efficiency is equally important. If the goal is to eventually transition away from a fossil-fuel based economy and toward a renewable energy economy, we (meaning everyone on the planet) will need to get used to not only new ways of making energy but also new ways of consuming energy. Using less energy more efficiently will matter even more than it does now, so remembering to turn off the light will become more, not less, important.
Thanks for the video. Been running around looking for money for EPEC. Hope you are doing well.