Today is the official start of the exhibitor part of the World of Concrete which will last until this Friday the 21st. If you have never been to this show it is quite a sight with 3 huge indoor halls and 2 outside areas. Over 50,000 people are expected to attend this year with a ton of new products being announced for the first time. “Going Green” is of course a buzz word in any industry and the World of Concrete is no exception. Multiquip has announcing the first ever fuel cell light tower which in addition to being economically friendly also offers several other advantages in operation. 
World of Concrete, Las Vegas – Multiquip, a diverse manufacturer and supplier of world class quality products and solutions, introduces to the industry, the first hydrogen fuel cell powered light tower, part of a planned series of hydrogen fuel cell powered products. Innovative by design, the light tower is environmentally friendly, fuel efficient, virtually pollution-free, allowing it to be operated indoors and can be operated for up to 50 hours at a noise level of 43 decibels at 23 feet.
The light tower uses innovative plasma light technology, which is filament-free, producing a clean, natural light. The plasma light bulb produces 22,000 lumens with extremely high efficiency, consuming only 255 watts with a life expectancy of up to 50,000 hours.
“We are very excited to be introducing the hydrogen powered light tower,” said Torsten Erbel, Vice President Product Management, Engineering and Customer Support for Multiquip.
“The implications of the product’s technology beyond lighting are tremendous. It’s reliable due to the lack of moving parts; durable; does not contaminate due to fuel spills; there is very low maintenance; and it is user-friendly, using an automotive-style fuel nozzle.”
Using a process discovered more than 150 years ago, fuel cells began supplying electric power for spacecrafts in the 1960s and were pursued for commercial use in the 1970s. Fuel cells are an alternative to the internal combustion engine with an energy efficiency of 50+%, while on average, internal combustion engines convert only 20%.
Prototypes of the light tower have been and will be used by the California Department of Transportation, film and entertainment companies at high profile media events and by NASA during the upcoming shuttle launch.
The Multiquip hydrogen fuel cell powered light tower will be on display at World of Concrete in Las Vegas, January 18-21 in booth # C4813.
Products will be available in Q2 2011. Pricing for the units will be provided by quote only, due to the availability of energy and tax credits, which vary from state-to-state as well as multiple configuration options.
