The first hydrogen-powered home in the Netherlands is a fact. The existing house in Delft will be connected to a local, underground hydrogen network starting mid-November. This allows residents to fully heat their homes and tap water with hydrogen. They will not notice any difference in use, warmth and comfort compared to a normal central heating boiler.

Hydrogen is a promising alternative to natural gas, the supply and price of which are currently under pressure. In the pilot home, consortium H2@Home is investigating ‘live’ how to use hydrogen as optimally and safely as possible in a residential environment. The house is part of a replica 1970s residential block of the DreamHûs, which is located on the site of field lab The Green Village (TGV) of the TU Delft Campus.

The H2@Home project is unique for the European mainland. This unique character is due to a combination of factors: the hydrogen is supplied via an underground pipeline network (similar to a natural gas network), the house is occupied, it concerns an individual residential connection and the hydrogen pipes also run through the meter cupboard and user areas of the house. The test environment therefore is very realistic. This makes the results even more important for determining the way in which residents will have optimal access to hydrogen in the future.

Several Aalberts companies contributed to this project, Aalberts integrated piping systems being one of them. We provided the house with VSH Super and VSH Xpress piping systems. We are currently also busy getting the relevant product lines certified for Hydrogen.

H2@Home tests and investigates all kinds of facets: What is needed to install safely and reliably? How do the pipes and equipment react to hydrogen? Which requirements must be anchored in legislation and regulations? And so on. Sensors in the home measure pressure and temperature, among other things, and the pipes are checked for vibrations and leaks in particular. New modules will also be tested and incidental emergency exercises will take place. The trial will be completed in July 2022.

Aalberts integrated piping systems wants to make an active contribution to the energy transition that is necessary in the Netherlands and is adapting its product range to meet market demand.

H2@Home is being carried out with support from the hydrogen tender scheme of the Ministry of Economic Affairs & Climate