Some of the key markets for fuel cells may surprise you - combined heat and power (CHP) for residential applications and remote sensing to monitor dams, wildlife and weather stations.
The CHP market is growing at a compound annual rate of 67.7% according to Pike Research, and predicts the remote sensing market will be the "break out" market for the technology.
In 2012, the fuel cell and hydrogen industry will produce $785 million in revenue worldwide, crossing the three quarter million threshold for the first time, says Pike.
What most expected to be a strong market for fuel cells - portable consumer electronics applications - isn't yet showing much promise, they say. Many of the pioneering fuel cell companies - most of whom are shadows of what they once were - were developing them for cell phones and computers.
Read about current developments and the top 15 fuel cell manufacturers. Last month, ClearEdge Power received one of the biggest fuel cell orders to date - a $500 million order from Austria's Güssing Renewable Energy for 50 megawatts (MW) by 2020.