Heating homes with hydrogen is neither cheap nor environmentally friendly
Review of 32 studies shows that heat pumps, solar energy or district heating are all better for low-carbon heating
When it comes to decarbonising domestic heating, hydrogen is worse than alternatives such as solar energy on every count: it’s less economic, less efficient, more resource intensive and has a larger environmental impact. This is the result of a review that analysed 32 independent studies.
Providing heating for homes, industry and other applications accounts for around 50% of total energy consumption globally. 60% of that demand is covered by fossil fuels. Zero-carbon or green hydrogen – hydrogen produced without generating carbon emissions – has been hailed as a replacement for natural gas in this sector. Governments have been launching national hydrogen strategies to introduce more of the gas into domestic heating. In late 2021, the UK showed that it can safely blend 20% hydrogen with methane and deliver it to the grid. The project was deemed a success, and its second stage, completed in June 2022, is awaiting evaluation.