Fuel cell heating also produces electricity
On its website, the heating company thermondo explains how hydrogen heating works: “In [der Brennstoffzelle] When hydrogen meets oxygen, it is split into negatively and positively charged molecules. The negative hydrogen ions flow to an anode. In doing so, they release energy in the form of electricity. The positively charged ions (protons) flow through a membrane to the cathode and generate heat.” The fuel cell heating system generates thermal energy for heating and hot water as well as electricity through “cold combustion” without exhaust gases.
Other advantages are the low maintenance requirements and the low-noise operation of hydrogen heaters. They also save space and, according to thermondo, have a service life of up to 25 years.
Connection to the gas network Prerequisite for installing a hydrogen heater
In addition to the advantages of possible climate neutrality and the production of electricity and heat with the same system, fuel cell heating systems also have disadvantages. Consumers have to weigh up whether the installation is still worthwhile. This also depends on how the heating has been done so far.
One of the disadvantages is that if you want to install a fuel cell heating system, you absolutely need a connection to the gas network. If gas has already been used for heating, this is not a problem – otherwise the installation can involve costly additional measures. In addition, the energy consumption of hydrogen heating systems is very high, explains the Vaillant company, which operates in the field of heating, ventilation and air conditioning technology, on its website. Heat pumps, for example, have so far been significantly more efficient. thermondo also explains that fuel cell heaters often cannot cover the entire energy requirement of a household at particularly low temperatures or when several large household appliances are used at the same time. Therefore, the fuel cell should usually be supplemented with an additional heat source such as a heat pump or solar system.
State subsidies for the purchase of a fuel cell heating system
According to Vaillant and thermondo, the purchase and installation of a fuel cell heating system costs at least 30,000 euros. However, customers are supported with state subsidies when purchasing a fuel cell heating system: the state covers up to 40 percent of the total costs, the subsidy is handled by the KfW bank. This is still a one-off investment – although the system will later provide not only heat but also electricity and high utility bills can be avoided. “In general, the same applies to the fuel cell as to all CHP systems: the more energy is consumed, the more economically the device works,” writes thermondo on its website. If you also feed excess electricity into the power grid, you can even earn some money with the hydrogen heater.
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