(524c) Understanding How Hydrogen Fits into the Energy Future

The energy landscape is changing, driven by lower priced technology options, shifting market dynamics, and low-carbon targets being set at the individual, company, utility, state, or industry level. For the energy sector, the challenge is always what technologies make sense as part of a system solution – at scale - but that can be deployed reliably, safely, affordably, and environmentally responsibly.

This presentation will give an overview of a research portfolio aimed at understanding the broader potential and role of electrolytic hydrogen in the energy transition. From near-term considerations like system and project scaling to grid effects and how deployment might affect power quality on the grid or alternatively, be affected by the power quality of the grid. In the longer term, we are looking at how electrolyzers could operate as flexible assets on the grid. Understanding both from a system performance perspective and to inform how we think about siting, sizing, planning for, and operating these units on the grid.

Hydrogen production is of course only one piece of the puzzle. Storing electricity or thermal energy as hydrogen is step one – from there the real challenge is finding the best way to store, more, and use that hydrogen.