Boiler maker launches 'first of its kind' 100% hydrogen heating trial in draughty historic houses
Project developers say the century-old Dutch homes are too poorly insulated to operate an all-electric heat pump — but experts dispute that H2 is the answer
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The properties are ideal for hydrogen heating because they are too draughty to successfully run a heat pump, BDR said — a position that is disputed by heating experts.
The houses in the Dutch town of Lochem are all historic, “listed” properties built around 1900, with planning restrictions on the alterations that can be made to them.
The boilers, from BDR brand Remeha, will be run on grey hydrogen made from fossil fuels, which will be supplied from a nearby industrial complex and delivered via an existing hydrogen pipeline owned by grid operator Alliander.
Residents will not pay any more for their heating for the duration of the three-year trial, and BDR said it would “provide valuable insights into using the existing gas grid to transport hydrogen to homes”.
“Decarbonising buildings is an urgent imperative, and hydrogen is one of the key technologies to do this, alongside heat networks, all-electric heat pumps and hybrid solutions that twin heat pumps with gas boilers,” said Bertrand Schmitt, chief executive of BDR Thermea.
‘Too draughty for heat pumps’
BDR said that the Lochem properties are not suitable for electric heating solutions because they are older.
“Since they are not as highly insulated as modern buildings, the houses aren’t suitable for an all-electric heat pump,” the company said.
But gas distributors and boiler makers, fighting to retain their business models, have long argued that heat pumps do not work in poorly insulated buildings or in cold temperatures.
And experts have point out that hydrogen heating will also be affected by heat loss in draughty buildings.
Using hydrogen for heating instead of reducing buildings’ energy inefficiencies is not a long-term solution. “We should be doing energy efficiency anyway,” he warned.
“It’s easier to run a heat pump in an efficient building but you can use a heat pump in an inefficient building — you just have to design it properly,” Lowes added. “It’s tricky, but it can be done.”
Isoenergy, which installed the heat pump at St Stephen’s Church in Kent, says on its website: “Even though the church had poor insulation levels, as most older churches do, Isoenergy made sure the specified heat pump system was appropriate to provide efficient heating for the church. As with all buildings, there is always a solution to help overcome the barrier of heat loss.”
Several other pilots to trial boilers running on 100% hydrogen have taken place around the world so far, including one in three commercial buildings in Germany, which was launched by BDR Thermea last month.