New technology always needs pioneers who lead the way, to try things out with conviction.
This is also the case with hydrogen technology

Reinhard Vollmer is one such pioneer. He lives with his wife in an old forester’s lodge (built in 1870) in the middle of the forest in Trendelburg-Langenthal in northern Hesse.

But even an old house can be supplied with energy using state-of-the-art technology. It is now heated by a pellet boiler and a fireplace. The chimney also has a water tank which, together with a solar thermal system, heats the domestic water. Since 2006, several photovoltaic modules have also been able to produce up to 30KW of electricity.

Since this clever mix of technology more than covers their own needs, the question soon arose: Where to put all the electricity produced by the sun and how to store it?

Power Storage Innovation – Home Power Solution Plant Picea
Nature is not only close to his heart because Reinhard Vollmer is responsible for nature conservation at the forestry office. He is a conservationist with heart and soul. So it was obvious to look for a sustainable, innovative idea to store the surplus electricity. After some research, the forester came across the „Picea“ system from our cooperation partner HPS in Berlin.
Surplus electricity, which is mainly produced in summer, is converted into hydrogen (and oxygen) by an electrolyser. This is stored in hydrogen bundles.
In winter, as soon as the solar panels on the roof do not generate enough electricity to cover the building’s own needs due to fewer hours of sunshine, the hydrogen is „reconverted“ to electricity via a fuel cell.
The heat generated in the plant is also used in the process itself and is thus not lost.
The old forester’s lodge is completely self-sufficient and a kind of power island independent of the grid.

Hydrogen storage with sera compressor
In order to be able to store the hydrogen in pressurised gas cylinders, the sera compressor compresses the gas at about 300 bar into the cylinder bundles, which are housed in a shed adjacent to the residential building.

A good conscience and a ­pioneering spirit
The purchase costs are in the high 5-digit range, a proud sum that nevertheless did not deter the couple with a pioneering spirit. Because the good conscience and the knowledge that they have invested something in the development of new, sustainable and environmentally friendly energy supply systems makes them happy. The almost 100% self-sufficiency – in the middle of the forest – also lets the couple sleep peacefully.