Hydrogen powered Australian home to provide insight into future of energy

Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG) is one of Australia’s largest gas infrastructure businesses with operations across mainland Australia supplying approximately 2 million customers. Operations include 40,000km of distribution and transmission gas pipelines, 60 petajoules of gas storage capacity, gas processing facilities and remote power generation.

Supportive of Government implementing policy that provides customers with a pathway to lowest cost decarbonisation, AGIG Chief Executive Officer Craig de Laine said the company is advocating for policy that delivers a clear renewable gas target, and ensures appliances sold today are hydrogen-ready.

Aligned with this, AGIG is developing a demonstration house called HyHome in Victoria, which will showcase a range of hydrogen appliances including cooktops, hot water systems, heaters and a barbecue, all powered by 100% hydrogen.

The demonstration home will allow researchers, industry and consumers to experience the reality of a hydrogen-fuelled home of the future, and give insight into the barriers and opportunities an eventual large scale hydrogen conversion could present.

This project would build on similar projects happening around the globe.

In the US, the Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) are building the [H2] Hydrogen Home, the first project of its kind in the U.S. The nearly 2000 sq. ft. home is the first demonstration project with solar panels, a battery, an electrolyzer to convert solar energy to green hydrogen and a fuel cell to supply electricity for the home. The green hydrogen will also be blended with natural gas and used in the home’s heat pump HVAC unit, water heater, clothes dryer, and gas stove.

UK company Northern Gas Networks has gone one better and created a Hydrogen Home to showcase 100% hydrogen appliances in the place of the natural gas appliances.

View the UK Hydrogen Home video below to explore hydrogen powered homes.