Black Country Housing builds first hydrogen-powered home

The uk’s first house to be powered by a hydrogen fuel cell is being built in a secret location in the West Midlands by Black Country Housing & Community Services Group.

All the energy it uses is generated by the hydrogen cell but there is a back-up connection to the mains in case of a problem with the cell.

News of the project follows last week’s speeches by prime minister Tony Blair and Conservative leader Michael Howard on climate change and sustainable development.

Howard outlined plans to cut stamp duty payments on energy- efficient homes (HT 17 September, page 8).

Black Country built the house with its subsidiary E2S, an environmental consultancy, as a nine-month pilot project to find out whether hydrogen is viable as an alternative energy source.

The two-bedroom bungalow was financed with the association’s own money, £154,000 from the Department of Trade and Industry and £20,000 from gas provider BOC.

Richard Baines, senior environmental consultant at Black Country, said: “We’re still in the very early stages of developing the hydrogen fuel cell system for the house, but it has such great potential for the future of energy-efficient homes.

“If it is successful, we could see the use of hydrogen in domestic services provision by 2030.”

Sandwell council will nominate 12 families to live in the house. They will be interviewed by Black Country and one family selected.

The successful family will be able to live in the house permanently, but will be asked to sign a contract, stating they are willing to have their electricity supply monitored throughout the nine-month pilot, which will start in November. After the project, they will get their power from the mains.

• Thousands of homes throughout Great Britain are to get new heating after the government awarded more than £15.5m to 17 different schemes last week.

Under the Community Energy programme, councils, housing associations and hospitals will be able to tackle fuel poverty and improve heating and energy efficiency.

An estimated 19,000 people on low incomes will save money on heating bills, while harmful carbon emissions will be cut by almost 10,000 tonnes a year.

The government awarded the largest grant, £4.35m, to Southwark council, south London, for a new heating network that will serve almost 2500 homes and 14 public buildings.