NIIGATA (Kyodo) Two metal cases that look a bit like an air conditioning unit are installed under the eaves of a house in a quiet residential district on the outskirts of Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture.
The smaller box is a fuel cell generator, while the bigger one is a tank holding hot water produced by the generator. Electricity production proceeds without a sound.
The house is one of 32 sites nationwide where fuel cells are being tested in homes. The experiment is being conducted by the New Energy Foundation with the support of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.