Conventional power generation relies upon fossil fuels, which produce a significant amount of pollutants, and there is a limited supply. Many alternative energy approaches have been proposed, such as biofuel, hydroelectric power, batteries, wind, solar, bioenergy, and geothermal energy. All of these sources can provide energy, but every method has advantages and disadvantages.

Fuel cells are needed because they provide electric power in applications that are currently energy-limited. For example, one of the most annoying things about a laptop computer is that the battery gives out after a couple of hours! Table 1 compares the weight, energy and volume of batteries within a typical PEM fuel cell.

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Table 1: General Fuel Cell Comparison with Other Power Sources