Solid State Energy Conversion Alliance (SECA)
The Solid State Energy Conversion Alliance (SECA) was initiated in 1999 to encourage the development of environmentally friendly solid-oxide fuel cell modules for use with commonly available fossil fuels at low cost.
The Alliance is coordinated by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Commercial developers, universities, government agencies, and other national laboratories participate in the Alliance in a tightly coordinated structure to produce commercial cost-effective prototypes.
The ultimate goal of SECA is to produce a core solid-state fuel cell module that could be produced at a cost of no more than $400 per kilowatt by 2010. The key development in achieving that goal is the development of a compact, lightweight, 5-kilowatt "building block" module that can be mass-produced.
Program Elements:
- Industrial Development Teams
- Participate in a co-funded, collaborative process to develop SOFC systems, manufacturing processes and deployment of systems.
- Core Technology Program
- Supports the industrial development teams by providing problem-solving research to overcome barriers identified by the industry teams.
- Universities, national laboratories, and other research-oriented organizations are participating in this program.