Brunnthal, Gemany--On the occasion of CMT caravaning fair at Stuttgart, Germany, SFC Smart Fuel Cell, technology and market leader for mobile and off-grid power solutions based on fuel cell technologies, introduces a new intelligent hybrid control system for operation of the EFOY fuel cell with solar cells. The hybrid control system, developed by Buettner-Elektronik, an expert and market leader for on-board electronics in motor homes, enables maximum utilization of solar energy while it is available. When the sun does not shine, the EFOY fuel cell will reliably jump in to ensure that the batteries are always charged.

The electronic control calculates and controls the time intervals at which the EFOY fuel cell is switched on depending on weather, season, and sunshine duration, resulting in a reduction of the cost of fuel needed for operation of the fuel cell.

The working principle is as follows: After sunrise the electronic control determines whether the PV system will be able to provide the power consumed the night before. If this is the case, the fuel cell will remain in standby mode. If, however, the weather turns bad over the course of the day, resulting in less power fed in from the solar system, the control will start the fuel cell in a timely manner to ensure that the battery will be recharged until evening:

“The EFOY fuel cell has many advantages. It is compact and silent, the power supply is very stable and fuel consumption is extremely low“, says Bernd Buettner, Founder and Managing Director of Buettner-Elektronik. „Bringing together the two systems has created the most innovative energy concept in motor homes currently available.“
“The hybrid control system ideally combines the advantages of EFOY fuel cell and solar cell: in fair weather you can use the free solar power, yet in bad weather and in the dark season you can still fully enjoy the comfort functions of your motor home“, says Dr. Peter Podesser, CEO of SFC Smart Fuel Cell AG. “This system is the perfect power solution for motor homes, but also for many other industrial applications, for example remote measuring or surveillance units.“

The hybrid control system of fuel cell and solar cell combines a 100 Wp or a 200 Wp solar cell with each of the four EFOY models (EFOY 600, EFOY 900, EFOY 1200 or EFOY 1600), depending on the individual amount of power needed. The system can also be retrofitted into any existing solar system.

About SFC Smart Fuel Cell AG 
SFC Smart Fuel Cell AG (www.sfc.com) is market leader in fuel cell technologies for mobile and off-grid power applications serving the leisure, industrial and defense markets.  As one of Germany’s technology pioneers, SFC has won numerous innovation awards.  SFC has alliances with leading companies in a wide range of industries.  Unlike most other fuel cell manufacturers, who are in the research and development phase or run subsidized demonstration projects, SFC has shipped fully commercial products to industrial and private end users for four years, and has created a convenient fuel cartridge supply infrastructure. SFC is DIN ISO 9001:2000 certified. 

About Buettner Elektronik
Buettner-Elektronik with its Mobile Technology series has been a synonym for new ideas in motor homes for over 15 years. The company’s mission is the targeted development of state-of-the art products for motor homes produced in Germany at an excellent price/performance ratio. Buettner-Elektronik is one of the market leaders in autonomous power supplies for motor homes and has been the carrier of the first prize for solar systems of the prestigious promobil “Best Brand“ reader awards over many years.