Green hydrogen

Splitting water molecules (H₂O) with the help of an excess of green electricity. Green hydrogen (H₂) and oxygen (O₂) are released during this electrolysis. The stored green hydrogen can then later be used to provide the required electricity and heating. Without any CO₂ or NOx being released.

Seasonal storage of green hydrogen makes sustainable energy available during months with less production. A significant advantage is that the storage capacity of hydrogen does not decrease during the year. Moreover, hydrogen takes up relatively little space. Stored hydrogen creates an independent system with a closed energy balance for the whole year. The application of green hydrogen makes sustainable construction and housing possible on every scale. From a few houses to complex residential estates with hundreds of houses.

In the Netherlands, 98% of the built environment consists of existing buildings. With a view to the Climate Agreement this creates an enormous challenge for sustainability and the move to living gas free. Individual all-electric solutions (insulation, water pump and solar panels) are very expensive. A collective solution – adapting the existing gas network for hydrogen – is a much cheaper option. Grid operators and energy companies are already working on this transition. However, this requires large-scale hydrogen production, for example in the North Sea or imported from abroad. Until that time, Hylife is acquiring knowledge and gaining experience in practice at a district level.

Hylife is currently developing an InnovaHub that will supply the houses with heating and electricity at district level. This Hub has three important features: the buffer function for the grid, the delivery guarantee to the connected houses and the storage function to balance the supply and demand for green energy. The InnovaHub ensures that the wind and solar energy generated in the summer is available for use in the winter. This creates a closed energy balance for the whole year.