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Lifespan: an honest answer while it is still in development

Everyone wants to know how many years it will last. The honest answer is that nobody knows yet for this system, and anyone who quotes a firm figure for a product still in development is guessing.

What wears out

Different parts age in different ways. The PEM membranes and catalysts in the electrolyser and fuel cell slowly lose performance with running hours, start-stop cycles and any impurities. The LiFePO4 battery loses capacity gradually with cycles and age. Pumps and fans are ordinary mechanical parts. Electronics such as the inverter have their own life. The storage vessel and pipework, if looked after, tend to be among the longest-lived parts.

What it would keep running

Electrolyser stack performance tracking
Fuel cell stack performance tracking
Battery capacity monitoring
Pump and fan replacement
Inverter health

Why we will not quote years

Lifespans published for fuel cells and electrolysers in general come from other uses and conditions, such as vehicles, industry or labs. A rural home has its own pattern of long idle spells, sudden outages and wide temperature swings. Borrowing a figure from a different setting and printing it here would be misleading.

The bench demo and pilot homes exist partly to find this out under real conditions. We will publish lifespan expectations based on actual running data, and update them as that data builds up over the seasons, rather than make promises now that we could not stand behind later.

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.

Designing for replacement

Because parts age at different rates, the sensible approach is a system where worn parts can be replaced without throwing the whole thing out. A fuel cell stack, a battery module or a pump should be serviceable on site. Ask about this during the pilot: what can be swapped, who does it, and how you will know it is due. Good monitoring makes a gradual decline visible before it becomes a failure.

Questions

Will it last as long as a diesel generator?

We cannot say yet. A well maintained diesel set can run a long time, and that is a proven track record. This system's lifespan will be measured in pilots. We will not claim parity without the data.

Is there a warranty?

There is no product on sale and no price yet, so there are no warranty terms to quote. Pilot installs will come with clear terms about support and what happens if something wears out or fails.

How will I know when a part is wearing out?

The system is designed to monitor its stacks, battery and sensors and report performance over time. A gradual drop shows up on the display and in service checks before it becomes a breakdown.

Elsewhere

Every use →

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