This paper discusses the four points in the Kreith and Isler August, 2002 Journal of Solar Energy Engineering Discussion Note, “Comments Dealing with Fuel Cell Energy Policy and Renewable Energy”. The paper compares the carbon emissions (gm-CO2/mi) of the current US passenger gasoline vehicle (GV) fleet with a proposed US passenger hydrogen vehicle (HV) fleet. The paper uses the efficiency method to compute the carbon content (gm-CO2/gal-H2) of hydrogen vehicle fuel (HVF) produced by a hydrogen electrolyzer (HE). The carbon content of the electricity (gm-CO2/kWh) used to power a HE is used to compute the carbon content of the HVF. The fuel efficiency (mpg) of the current US GV fleet and of the proposed HV fleet are used to compute the carbon emissions of the two fleets. The four points of Kreith and Isler are demonstrated for H2 from a HE. Equations and a list of abbreviations are provided.

1.
Kreith
,
F.
, and
Isler
,
B.
,
2002
, “
Comments Dealing With Fuel Cell Energy Policy and Renewable Energy
,”
ASME J. Sol. Energy Eng.
,
124
, p.
322
322
.
2.
Energy Information Administration, Energy and Work Equivalents Excel Worksheet. www.eia.doe.gov/kids/units.xls; US DOE, Washington, DC. Last modified: 14 March, 2003; accessed: 18 March, 2003.
3.
US Congress, Office of Technological Assessment, 1991, Changing by Degrees: Steps to Reduce Greenhouse Gases, OTA-0-482 (Washington, DC U.S. Government Printing Office, February 1991), Table: “Carbon Content of Various Fuels,” p. 333.
4.
Wang, M., 1999, “GREET 1.5-Transportation Fuel-Cycle Model, Volume 1: Methodologies, Development, Use, and Results,” Center for Transportation Research, Argonne National Laboratory, ANL/ESD-39, 1.
5.
Wang, M., 1999, “GREET 1.5-Transportation Fuel-Cycle Model, Volume 2: Appendices of Data and Results,” Center for Transportation Research, Argonne National Laboratory, ANL/ESD-39, 2.
6.
American Wind Energy Association, 2003, Wind Facts Data Spreadsheet, May 1, 2003, Washington, DC.
7.
Spath, P., Mann, M., and Kerr, D.,1999, “Life Cycle Assessment of Coal-Fired Power Production,” National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, NREL/TP-570-25119, p. 29.
8.
Spath, P., Mann, M., 2000, “Life Cycle Assessment of a Natural Gas Combined-Cycle Power Generation System,” National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, NREL/TP-570-27715, Executive Summary.
9.
Mann, M., DiPietro, J., Iannucci, J., and Eyer, J., 1998, “Exploring the Technical and Economic Feasibility of Producing Hydrogen From Sunlight and Wind Energy,” Proceedings of the 12th World Hydrogen Energy Conference, 1, pp. 377–346.
10.
Thomas, C., Electrolytic Production and Disbursement of Hydrogen, Directed Technologies, Inc., Arlington, VA, undated, Work funded by NREL under subcontract ACF-4-14266-01 to prime DOE contract DE-AC02-83CH10093, Table 2, Electrolizer Cost Comparison, p. 135.
11.
US Environmental Protection Agency, Consumer Information Emission Facts, EPA420-F-00-013, http://www.epa.gov./otaq/fooo13.htm. Last modified: 28 June, 2002; Accessed: 21 March, 2003. Not currently accessible.
12.
Hakim, D., 2004, Much of Coastal U.S. May Follow California on Car Emissions, New York Times, June 11.
You do not currently have access to this content.