The first US home to be powered solely by fuel cell and solar energy technology has been unveiled by a team from the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT).

Its 2005 Solar Decathlon team cut the ribbon on its fuel cell project, which it has called "America's First Solar-Hydrogen Home", during a ceremony at the US Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA).

President George W Bush delivered the keynote address during the ceremony.

According to Fuel Cell Today, the 800 sq ft house was the result of a global competition sponsored by the US Department of Energy, which featured 18 schools from 13 US states, Canada, Spain and Puerto Rico.

It challenged teams to originate and operate the most attractive, effective and energy-efficient solar-powered home.

The solar-hydrogen fuel cell home will now be permanently located on the USMMA campus and has officially opened for tours and will serve as a renewable energy research and educational centre.

NYIT was the only finalist to use a hydrogen fuel cell for energy storage. Platinum catalyst technology is utilised in fuel cell technology, which converts hydrogen fuel into usable energy.

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