SoCalGas' H2 Hydrogen Home Named as Fast Company 2021 World-Changing Idea

Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) and its H2 Hydrogen Home have been named one of Fast Company's World-Changing Ideas in the North America category. The award honors products, concepts, companies, policies, and designs that are pursuing innovation for the good of society and the planet.

Entries have been judged on impact, design, scalability, and ingenuity. SoCalGas' H2 Hydrogen Home is the first project of its kind in the US aiming to show how carbon-free gas made from renewable electricity can be used in pure form or as a blend to fuel clean energy systems of the future. SoCalGas' H2 Hydrogen Home and 17 other projects were selected among thousands of submissions considered for the honor by Fast Company.

"Our H2 Hydrogen Home demonstrates the important role of hydrogen in helping the state achieve its carbon neutrality goals," said Scott Drury, SoCalGas CEO. "As we lean into our mission to build the cleanest, safest, and most innovative energy company in America, we are proud that Fast Company agrees this project is a world-changing idea."

"Innovative projects like SoCalGas' H2 Hydrogen Home help demonstrate how hydrogen can play an important role in California's clean energy future," said Sen. Bob Archuleta (D-Pico Rivera). "We congratulate SoCalGas for this recognition."

The H2 Hydrogen Home, which will be built later this year in the city of Downey, is the first fully integrated demonstration project with solar panels, a battery, and electrolyzer to convert solar energy to hydrogen and a fuel cell to supply electricity for the home. Hydrogen will also be blended with natural gas and used in the home's heat pump HVAC unit, water heater, clothes dryer, and gas stove. The home will function and feel exactly like a regular home but use reliable and clean energy 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Hydrogen is already helping to reduce emissions from the transportation sector and will soon be used by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to generate electricity. It can also be used to fuel hard-to-decarbonize industries. And energy experts found hydrogen provides an ideal solution for long term storage of renewable energy on the larger grid as well.

In March, SocalGas became the largest gas distribution utility in North America to set a commitment to achieve net zerogreen house gas (GHG) emissions in its operations and delivery of energy by 2045. A key component of that goal is to complete five hydrogen pilot projects by 2025, including the H2 Hydrogen Home.