Without adequate sanitation and a reliable supply of potable water, it can be very difficult for individuals in developing nations to pursue education or other activities that would improve themselves or their communities. Addressing this problem at the local level with a strategy of distributed water purification powered by local fuel resources will be very effective. Using methane derived from agricultural waste, durable small scale SOFC units can generate significant amounts of electricity and heat. By leveraging both electrical and thermal energy, very high system efficiency is possible. The fuel flexibility, modularity, and the all solid state nature of SOFCs make them ideal for operation in remote areas.

Electrical and thermal outputs from a biogas fueled SOFC are measured and total cell efficiency is calculated to inform design criteria for the proposed power units. Stability to sulfur contamination is determined by measuring voltage drop during operation at the current density corresponding to maximum power. Using the information gathered from these tests, a basic analysis of the system size and fuel requirements necessary for community level use is presented.