Italian startup Hybitat Srl has developed a hydrogen production and storage system for long-term storage of surplus residential and commercial solar power. The system includes a main unit with an electrolyzer and fuel cell, as well as a storage unit with 3 kg of hydrogen capacity and 100 kWh of energy capacity.
Italian startup Hybitat Srl, a unit of Italy-based energy company SIT Group, has launched a new green hydrogen generation and storage system for applications in individual housing units, energy communities, low-energy businesses, and public buildings.
“Ahead of development plans, Hybitat has concluded the sale of a first system with a capacity of 200 kWh of energy in recent days,” a company spokesperson told pv magazine. “It will be installed in the first quarter of 2025 in a private residence in a prestigious architectural context of the 18th century.”
The system uses excess solar power from rooftop PV installations to produce hydrogen via an electrolyzer. The hydrogen is then stored into a storage unit consisting of a metal hydrik tank. When the household needs more power, the hydrogen can be converted back into electricity via a fuel cell or supplied to the user in gaseous form for different purposes.
The standard version of the new product consists of an indoor main unit and a storage unit that can be deployed indoors or outdoors.
The main unit hosts a DC/DC converter, a DC/AC inverter, a water demineralizer, an electrolyzer, a hydrogen dryer, a buffer lithium battery, and a fuel cell. It measures 645 mm x 1,150 mm x 1,860 mm and weighs 400 kg. It has up to 4 kW of power input, an input voltage of up to 500 V, and an output voltage of up to 253 V.
“The electrolyzer uses anion exchange membrane (AEM) technology, while the fuel cell utilizes polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) technology,” the spokesperson said, without providing further details.
The storage unit measures 460 mm x 1,150 mm x 1,110 mm and weighs 300 kg. It has 3 kg of hydrogen storage capacity and an energy capacity of 100 kWh.
The company also offers two bigger versions of the product for apartment buildings and large buildings. The first one features a main unit and two storage units, while the second one includes two main units and two storage units.
“The system has been validated according to the standards that allow the certification of conformity to the Machinery Directive, a reference for machines of this type at European level.