H2OME

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Keeping the corner dairy open in the dark

The local dairy is open early and late, and in an outage it is where the street goes for milk, bread and batteries. This page looks at what a small shop needs to keep trading.

Fridges, freezers and the ice cream cabinet

A dairy's load is almost all refrigeration: a wall of glass-door drink fridges, a milk fridge, chest freezers, the ice cream scoop cabinet and maybe a pie warmer and a hot food cabinet. Add lights, the till, EFTPOS and a security camera. That whole list fits comfortably within 15 kW, with the battery covering the surge when several compressors start together after the switch-over.

What it would keep running

  • Glass-door drink and milk fridges
  • Chest freezers and ice cream cabinet
  • Pie warmer and hot food cabinet
  • Till, EFTPOS and security camera
  • Shop lighting

Owners often live above the shop

Many dairies are family businesses, with the owners living behind or above the shop. A long outage threatens both the stock and the household at once. The system could be wired to carry the shop's refrigeration and the family's essentials together, as long as the combined load stays within 15 kW and is planned during the pilot.

There is no generator to start on the footpath at 6am, no fumes drifting into the shop, and no petrol stored in the back room. The battery and inverter take over instantly when the line drops, so the till and fridges do not even notice.

How it works →
The H2OME loop: an electrolyser splits water into hydrogen, the hydrogen is stored in a tank for weeks, a fuel cell turns it into electricity for your home, and the water returns to the loop.

What it costs

The system charges on cheap off-peak power overnight and holds hydrogen at 30 bar or less for weeks. Round trip efficiency is 30% or less, so power from it costs more than straight grid power. For a dairy, the value is in not throwing out a freezer of ice cream and in staying open when the street needs it.

Questions

Is a dairy too small for a 15 kW system?

A dairy's refrigeration is steady and adds up, and a long outage threatens the whole stock. Whether it is worth it depends on how often the area loses power and for how long. For rare, short outages a smaller option may be the honest recommendation.

Can it power the shop and our home together?

Often yes, if the combined load stays within 15 kW. Shop refrigeration plus household lights, fridge and hot water usually fits. Big household loads like a dryer or oven would need to be scheduled around the shop, which the pilot would plan.

Does it need a generator licence or fuel storage?

There is no engine and no fuel to store. Hydrogen is held at 30 bar or less, and the system is designed to AS/NZS 60079 and ISO 19880 with redundant leak sensors, automatic shutdown and venting. Installation would follow local rules and be agreed with the installer.

More in community places and remote sites

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