Residential Clean Energy

Fuel Cells

How They Work

Fuel cells use the chemical energy in hydrogen or other fuel to provide electricity and heat for buildings and electricity to charge electric vehicles. Fuel, such as hydrogen, and air are fed into the fuel cell, which separates the hydrogen atoms, producing electricity along with water and heat. The waste heat can be used to generate hot water and for space heating, making them ideal for residential use.

Fuel cells can be sized for residential use, are quiet and can have generating efficiencies in excess of 60%. They also have lower or zero emissions compared to combustion engines and produce no carbon dioxide. Find more information about fuel cells here.

What Assistance Is Available for Me?

• The federal government offers a tax credit of up to 30% of the cost of the purchase and installation of a fuel cell ($500 maximum credit per 0.5 kilowatt of power capacity). Find more information about federal tax credits for fuel cells here.

What Products Are Eligible?

To be eligible for the federal tax credit the fuel cell must have a nameplate capacity of at least 0.5 kilowatt using an electrochemical process and an electricity-only generation efficiency greater than 30%.

Important Dates

The federal tax credits are available for products purchased and installed between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2032.