H2micro-cogeneration in buildings: from nZEBs to HZEBs. State of Art, with a novel experimental set-up

A new installation of hydrogen FC in a net zero energy building is presented, to support the energy transition toward clean energy systems. The development of hydrogen technologies, both for the high electrical efficiency of small sizes and for the energy storage potential (in the presence of electricity surplus from renewables) may have an important potential for a low carbon future. Surely, with a view to renewable energy communities, the scientific research on storage - thermal and electrical, daily and seasonal - is becoming central to compensate for the temporal "gaps"between conversion and use of energy. These topics are here discussed, presenting a novel installation of H2 in a real living lab building, an example of the transition from nZEBs to HZEBs. In particular, wide in-field monitoring is under investigation, by testing the real performance of a small-scale solid oxide fuel cell, in which both electrical and thermal output are used to cover the low energy demands. The technology is highly promising, being improved electrical efficiency with respect to other CHP technologies, and this fulfills the future energy transition, which will be characterized by an equal or increased demand for electrical energy, with a lower need for heat.