Alpha Integrates ReliOn Fuel Cell Technology Into Hybrid Power System Test Facility

Bellingham, WA, August 24, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Alpha Energy, an innovator in renewable energy solutions, is integrating the ReliOn E-2500™ fuel cell system into its state-of-the-art Hybrid Power System (HPS) Test Facilityin Bellingham, WA.

The HPS Test Facility simulates demanding off-grid environments and provides test engineers an accurate, real-time representation of how certain products will perform in the field. If the fuel cell system meets Alpha’s rigorous performance standards, it will then be evaluated for implementation into future Alpha Energy projects.

“Interest in the renewable energy sector is experiencing exceptional growth with an increased focus on green technologies,” said John Meyer, Director of Applications and System Engineering for Alpha Energy. “Our HPS Test Facility is designed exclusively for these innovative alternative energy projects and it continues to be a tremendous asset as we forge into an era emphasizing clean energy.”

Initially installed in spring 2010, Alpha’s HPS Test Facility is a unique outdoor laboratory where various renewable energy technologies are tested with a range of load requirements and demands. In addition to the newly installed ReliOn E-2500™ fuel cell system, the facility features a 7.5kW wind turbine mounted on a 100’ lattice tower, expanded solar capacity, backup battery bank and a DC Power Plant housing all power management electronics and controls. To ensure maximum reliability, test products must meet or surpass Alpha’s established performance criteria before consideration into subsequent projects.

ReliOn’s E-2500™ fuel cell system, recently installed at Alpha’s HPS Test Facility, offers the latest innovation in ReliOn’s high-reliability power solutions. Designed around ReliOn’s patented modular, fault-tolerant architecture, the E-2500™ cell system provides 2,500W of power in a compact, 8U (14’ tall) rack-mountable package. Like all of ReliOn’s fuel cell products, emissions are limited to warm air and a small amount of water, and the E-2500™ fuel cell is exempt from the most stringent air quality standards. The E-2500™ system can affordably provide hundreds of hours of runtime between refueling and many years of service for critical equipment. The system installed at Alpha’s HPS Test Facility is a 5kW configuration housed in an environmentally-hardened outdoor cabinet.

“As the market for fuel cell power solutions continues to grow, the benefits of working with a company like Alpha become more substantial,” stated Mark Cohen, Vice President of Product Management for ReliOn. “While ReliOn has installed fuel cell solutions at more than 1,450 commercial customer locations, Alpha’s strength in integrating complete renewable power solutions for off-grid applications offers our customers a solution that serves an even broader variety of environments.”

For more information about the HPS Test Facility and associated projects, visit www.alpha.com.

Alpha Energy, a member of The Alpha Group and a division of Alpha Technologies Services, is a full-service engineering and project development company for the distributed generation power industry. One of the nation's leading developers of turnkey photovoltaic systems for commercial, residential, institutional and remote (off-grid) applications, Alpha Energy is recognized as a market innovator in packaging renewable energy technologies.

The Alpha Group represents a global alliance of independent companies that share a common philosophy – create world-class powering solutions for communication, commercial, industrial and renewable energy markets.