An important turning point in domestic decarbonisation was reached in Scotland, where the first hydrogen houses were inaugurated on a neighborhood scale. Located in Fife, these demonstration houses were officially opened by Prime Minister John Swinney.
These buildings show how hydrogen can be used for heating and kitchen. The project, known as H100aims to expand to cover 300 houses in the coming months.
Hydrogen houses: what are they and how do they work?
Domestic heating is one of the main responsible for greenhouse gas emissions, contributing for the 22% to the total emissions of the United Kingdom. For this, hydrogen is considered a key solution for the sector decarbonisation.
The use of hydrogen in homes requires the installation of new appliances, including stoves and boilers specially designed. An example is the hydrogen hob developed by Boschcharacterized by an “invisible” flame, which will be tested in the homes of the H100 project in Fife.
From the point of view of the residents, a house powered by hydrogen. Appliances work similarly and most of the changes take place at the level of the energy supply. This makes hydrogen one of the least invasive options to decarbonize domestic heating.
Hydrogen in homes: developments globally
THE’European Union He traced a clear path for the adoption of hydrogen with his repoweru strategy. The goal is to import 10 million tons and produce as many by 2030covering the 10% of EU energy needs by 2050.
Despite these ambitious plans, the use of hydrogen at home is still limited, with only a few active pilot projects.
Not all hydrogen is really “clean”
At the level of use, hydrogen is an extremely clean fuel: unlike coal and gas. However, his production is another matter.
Hydrogen is produced through theelectrolysisa process that separates hydrogen and oxygen from the water. If the energy used for this operation comes from non -renewable sources, the environmental benefits are canceled.
Currently, Only 2% of the EU energy mix is represented by hydrogenand almost everything is produced using fossil fuels. The European Parliament estimates that the current hydrogen production causes between 70 and 100 million tons of Co₂ per year.
The only true sustainable hydrogen is the one produced with renewable energy, known as green hydrogen. However, today represents less than 1% of global hydrogen production. According to theInternational Energy Agencyto make the whole hydrogen “green” would be needed 3,000 Teramo (TWH) of renewable energy, the equivalent of the entire European electricity needs.
In the project H100 FIFEhydrogen is produced using Renewable energy generated by a local offshore wind farmthus guaranteeing zero emissions in the process.
Is hydrogen really convenient for domestic heating?
Although hydrogen is the most abundant element on earth, Manage it is not simple. Its transport and storage require complex infrastructures and constant monitoringmaking it expensive and difficult to implement on a large scale.
A 2022 study conducted by Regulatory Assistance Project has analyzed 32 independent searches on the use of hydrogen in domestic heating, concluding that compared to alternatives such as heat pumps, district heating and solar thermalas stated by Jan Rosenowco -author of the study:
Using hydrogen for heating may seem tempting at first sight, but all independent research reaches the same conclusion: it is less efficient and more expensive than other solutions.
In January 2025, a report of theInstitute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEFA) has raised further concerns, highlighting that burning hydrogen in homes has risks for safety and health. In addition, it could delay the transition to electrification, keeping the use of fossil gas in homes longer, as he said Suzanne Matteienergy analyst and co -author of the study:
The use of hydrogen in homes not only places risks for safety, but could also slow down the energy transition, prolonging the combustion of domestic gas.
