Demand Based Renewable Hydrogen Power-to-Power Project

The Demand-Based Renewable Hydrogen Power-to-Power Project, led by DasH2energy and supported by the California Energy Commission under EPIC award EPC-19-037, aimed to develop, deploy, and evaluate a behind-the-meter hydrogen energy storage system integrating an alkaline electrolyzer, high-pressure hydrogen storage, and a proton exchange membrane fuel cell. The Power-to-Power system was installed and tested at the University of California, Irvine, using facility level electricity demand and renewable generation data provided by the Palmdale Water District.

The demonstration project validated the feasibility of using hydrogen produced via electrolysis as a long-duration energy storage solution capable of storing and then generating renewable electricity across monthly and seasonal timescales. Key technical milestones included realworld testing of system components under dynamic load conditions, development of electrochemical simulation models, and measurement and verification of performance metrics including round-trip efficiency, thermal management constraints, and long-term storage integrity.

While Power-to-Power systems have a relatively low round-trip efficiency, the project identified pathways for future improvement through system optimization including improved chiller sizing, partial-load operation strategies, and advanced controls. Business model analysis across multiple scenarios demonstrated economic viability under supportive policy frameworks and incentive programs.

The project contributed to California’s statutory energy goals by demonstrating a non-lithiumion, resilient, zero-emission long duration energy storage technology, and laid the groundwork for future technology development and deployment.