Homes could be powered by hydrogen, here's how
Welcome to the future! The first hydrogen-powered home is (probably) here. An existing property on the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) campus is connected to a local underground hydrogen network, as part of a ground-breaking experiment being conducted at TU Delft’s Green Lab.
Hydrogen is an excellent alternative to natural gas
As part of its commitments to the Paris climate agreement, the Netherlands wishes to bring down carbon dioxide emissions in built environment to 0% by 2050. As a plentiful and far more eco-friendly source of energy, hydrogen is a superior alternative to natural gas. It also has the additional advantage of being able to use existing pipelines and regional distribution networks already in place for natural gas. However, much work remains when it comes to making the ‘last mile’ of energy delivery – the medium-pressure distribution network and the home boiler – ready for the changeover to hydrogen, when the time arrives.
Several companies experiment with hydrogen use
Aalberts hydronic flow control is part of H2@Home, a consortium of several companies experimenting with the use of hydrogen in a residential environment as optimally and safely as possible. One of these experiments is being conducted at one of the houses at the DreamHûs, part of TU Delft’s The Green Village field lab for sustainability innovation. The installation in the house, a replica of a 1970s residential block, will be converted from natural gas to hydrogen.
Once the switchover to hydrogen is complete, the property’s homes and tap water will be fully heated with hydrogen, with the aim of residents not noticing any differences in use, warmth, or comfort compared to a traditional boiler system. Sensors in the home will measure pressure and temperature, among other things, and the pipes will be checked for vibrations and leaks in particular. New modules will also be tested and incidental calamity tests will take place in order to closely examine the viability of hydrogen as a domestic energy source in a prgamatic environment.
Unique project for Europe
The H2@Home project is unique for the European mainland. This is due to a combination of factors: the hydrogen is supplied via an underground pipeline network (similar to a natural gas network), the house is occupied, the experiment is conducted using an individual residential connection and the hydrogen pipes enter the property through the main utilities cupboard and run through to other areas of the house, which means that the test environment is very realistic.
As part of H2@Home, several parameters will be tested and investigated:
What is needed to install hydrogen-powered energy infrastructure safely and reliably?
How do pre-existing pipe systems and equipment react to hydrogen?
Which of the project’s requirements need to be codified in legislation and regulations?
What is the best way to provide residents access to hydrogen while still keeping safety and cost-effectiveness in mind?
The experiment will attempt to answer these and several other questions to create a blueprint for safe and cost-effective use of hydrogen in the building, which will then be used to create pilot programmes at The Green Village and other test sites in the Netherlands. The experiment is expected to end in July 2022.