Thread by @fascinatorfun

Hydrogen. The colour coding unpicked.

Earlier this week there was an article on how Russia was trying to leverage its power and resources, cornering Ukraine, by promoting (eg to Germany) the use of “blue hydrogen”.

But blue and grey are dirty hydrogen in respect of emissions

https://twitter.com/EdConwaySky/status/1586250473421516800

For my part, like many of us, I have been trying to work out how best to improve my own energy usage profile.

I was looking at solar panels but

1/ they are high cost right now - about £15,500-£16k for panels and a 6kwh battery; and

2/ In an all electric house, I would end up producing a lot of excess energy in the summer (with low financial return) when I don’t use it; and

3/ Very little in the winter when I do use a lot for heating, and would certainly not produce enough to make much of a dent in that and certainly insufficient to fill a battery for evening/ night time usage.

4/. Similarly friends have been looking at replacing their gas boilers and wondering about phase out timescales and whether they will convert to hydrogen. If so WHICH hydrogen (and see @EdConwaySky ‘s interesting article referring to home hydrogen systems?

5/ So I went back to this super helpful thread from April by @michaelujacobs which emphasised prioritising insulation first.

I summarised it quickly here.

Hydrogen was 4th in the batting order and then only under R&D for green hydrogen NOT blue.

https://twitter.com/fascinatorfun/status/1512348125884735490?s=61&t=Z3JaiUah6jX1B97FMP8vqA

By calling in some trusted people in the trades, I have discovered that I can markedly improve my insulation, certain windows, front door, parts of difficult to access roof space and by bumping up attic insulation & ventilation.

The cost of all that should be under £6.5k which seems a better bang for buck than solar panels to start with.

Similarly my friends are rethinking gas boiler replacements.

But a lot of the problem is who to turn to for high quality advice. Particulalry when it comes to boilers that are said to convert to hydrogen.

What hydrogen? And what onward installation work will be required?

Is it better to keep existing boilers limping on for 1/2yrs?

Having read @EdConwaySky article for a good solid overview of the different sources & types of hydrogen energy this @BylineTimes article about how Russia was trying very hard to leverage ‘blue’ hydrogen (undesirable from an environmental aspect) for both political power & incomes

https://twitter.com/fascinatorfun/status/1586029317271613441

For those looking at the lifespan of their current gas boiler this thread is worth a read. And look at the @theheatinghub website too for lots of advice and tips.

https://twitter.com/theheatinghub/status/1586257570221920256

Just so you understand how careful you have to be when seeking advice on such things as “convertible gas boilers”.

Well worth following accounts like @janrosenow for some INFORMED down to earth opinions

https://twitter.com/janrosenow/status/1586298024757985282

And another 🧵 debunking the idea of convertablegas boilers

The #HelloHydrogen crowd want you to believe you can just "Keep the boiler, change the gas".

Hydrogen will be at least x2 as expensive per unit heat as fossil gas.

https://twitter.com/mliebreich/status/1586620793605201921

“And a "H2 blend ready" boiler will not remotely prepare your home for 100% H2.”

Remember also that blended “dirty” Hydrogen pointless for this use.