Hydrogen in the built environment

Various Dutch municipalities are exploring alternatives to natural gas as an energy source for heating homes and offices. Within this discussion, hydrogen is central as a much-discussed opportunity, with the combustion of hydrogen often being the starting point. However, to maximize the efficiency of hydrogen, deploying fuel cells is a more effective approach. This involves converting hydrogen into electricity and heat for homes, enabling significant reduction in CO2 emissions.

A major advantage of this approach is the use of existing gas infrastructure for transportation, with limited expansion of the electricity grid. Although The Netherlands has ambitious plans to apply hydrogen in mobility and the built environment, actual implementation lags behind. The use of hydrogen in residential areas is still in its early stages, and it is important to acknowledge that hydrogen is not the only solution, but rather one of many possible solutions.

Various companies are currently developing different technologies for the use of hydrogen in buildings, including hydrogen boilers, combined heat and power (CHP) systems on hydrogen, residential energy storage systems, and hydrogen panels. There is a growing need for deeper insight into the specific circumstances in which these solutions can be optimally applied in the future. This insight is essential for advising policymakers in designing future energy systems for the built environment.

We provide tailored installations for clean electricity and heat for the built environment, enabling entire city districts to be decarbonized in one go.

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