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The notion that hydrogen will replace natural gas for residential and commercial heating has been promoted heavily by segments of the gas industry. Yet the weight of independent, peer-reviewed research points in the opposite direction. Hydrogen, while technically combustible and capable of generating heat, is simply not a practical or economic choice for this application. It suffers from a trifecta of disadvantages: low volumetric energy density, high costs of production and distribution, and fundamental inefficiencies compared to readily available alternatives. The metaphor often cited by energy experts—that using hydrogen for heating is like using a sledgehammer to hang a picture—is apt. It’s not that it doesn’t work. It’s that it’s wildly inappropriate for the task.
This is a companion article to the Cranky Stepdad vs…
