Heating with Hydrogen

By Gio Liguori

As many sectors turn to low or zero-carbon sources of fuel, home heating is one area that has lagged behind. Many countries around the world are finding a sizable portion of their carbon dioxide emissions come from residential heating, which still largely relies on fossil fuels, mostly natural gas and coal. Among many technologies addressing carbon emission, interest has turned to hydrogen as a possible method to decarbonize heating.

In the United States, residential heating and cooling contribute heavily to the country’s overall emissions. Direct CO2 emissions from commercial and residential buildings made up 12.6% of the country’s carbon emissions, amounting to over 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere each year, a 9% increase since 1990. As for the United Kingdom, about 25% or more of their emissions come from residential use. Clearly, this will be a major hurdle in the race towards net-zero emissions.

There are many advantages to hydrogen fuel that makes it an ideal substitute for fossil fuels in heating buildings. Hydrogen used for power can be created through electrolysis or steam reformation. During electrolysis, a current is run through water inside an electrolyzer, splitting up the molecule and producing hydrogen gas. Steam reformation puts a hydrocarbon, such as natural gas, under intense heat and pressure, thus producing hydrogen gas along with other byproducts. Hydrogen produced by both electrolysis and steam reformation can be carbon-free when using renewable or zero-emission feedstocks such as wind or solar electricity or renewable natural gas.

Hydrogen can also be blended with the current source of heating power, natural gas, to reduce the amount of fossil fuel burned and cut emissions. While testing and demonstration of hydrogen blending is currently underway, it is expected that hydrogen concentrations up to 20% of heating fuel supply would not require replacement or alteration of existing infrastructure or appliances. This can provide a great starting point for conversion while a state or country increases its hydrogen-producing capacity and updates its pipelines and in-home systems

While these changes may seem challenging, countries such as the United Kingdom are taking proactive steps towards a future of hydrogen heating. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has attempted to spur the heating sector by building one town heated entirely by hydrogen by the end of this decade as part of his “Green Industrial Revolution.” This hydrogen town is a test run for broader implementation. Another small town in England is trialing blended hydrogen/natural gas to heat over 650 residential and commercial properties.

An important resource the United States could follow for a hydrogen economic overhaul is the Road Map to a US Hydrogen Economy, produced by McKinsey and Company in collaboration with the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association and numerous companies invested in hydrogen’s future. The report suggests the US should begin blending hydrogen with natural gas for heating as soon as 2026, with few to no appliance or hardware upgrades required. Most of the homes in the United States that rely on natural gas for heat are located in the Northeast, which has significant opportunity for pipeline and grid expansion. There is also the promising possibility of installing fuel cells in residential and commercial buildings to supply renewable energy. With these steps towards low-carbon heating resources detailed in the report, the United States could be on track for a hydrogen future by 2050.

There is much to look forward to in the world of hydrogen heating. With countries such as the UK making serious strides towards universal carbon-neutral heating, the rest of the world will likely follow suit. Its cost-efficiency, renewable net-zero emissions, and potential use of existing infrastructure make hydrogen a prime candidate for replacing natural gas. While there remain logistical challenges to resolve, expect to see considerable progress as the world approaches its 2050 climate goals.