Demand Based Renewable Hydrogen Power-to-Power Project
This project will simulate, field test, and validate a containerized hydrogen energy storage system integrated with the UC Irvine microgrid. The project will modulate the hydrogen energy storage system's input and and output using wind telemetry data
DasH2energy LLC
Recipient
San Diego, CA
Recipient Location
39th
Senate District
77th
Assembly District
$1,255,649
Amount Spent
Active
Project Status
Project Update
In 2025, the project concluded and delivered key lessons for scaling hydrogen power-to-power (P2P) systems through system installation, dynamic testing, electrochemical modeling, and stakeholder engagement. Key findings include that both the electrolyzer and fuel cell were able to operate dynamically with variable renewable generation and demand, though startup times limit responsiveness. Thermal management proved to be a critical constraint impacting the system’s round-trip efficiency and subcomponent lifespan.
The Issue
Achieving California's energy goals will require a diversified portfolio of energy storage technologies. At this time the energy storage market is dominated by lithium-ion batteries, which are not economical or well suited for long duration energy storage (LDES) applications. As the share of electricity provided by variable renewable energy resources increases, there will be a growing need for more diverse storage solutions including LDES capable of shifting large quantities of electricity across seasons from times of high renewable production to periods of low production.
Project Innovation
This project will field test an integrated electrolyzer, compressed storage, and fuel cell system at UC Irvine. In addition to developing integrated controls for system operation, the project used variable renewable generation and demand profiles from a representative host site to validate the ability of both the electrolyzer and fuel cell to flexibly ramp up and down. The project will validate the hydrogen system's performance and use the data obtained on capital cost, operating cost, performance and lessons learned to support scale-up and future commercial deployments.
Project Goals
Project Benefits
This project will support technological advancement and breakthroughs that support achievement of the State’s clean energy goals by validating the performance of hydrogen-based power-to-power systems for long duration energy storage in behind the meter installations. In addition to balancing variable on-site renewable generation and enhancing resilience to long duration power outages, behind-the-meter hydrogen power-to-power systems could limit export onto distribution feeders and increase available hosting capacity.
Affordability
Affordability
The hydrogen energy storage system is expected to provide long duration energy storage, which will enable greater use of renewable generation with lower costs thereby reducing customer energy costs.
Energy Security
Energy Security
The hydrogen energy storage system, integrated with renewable generation and a microgrid, will store large amounts of energy thereby increasing resilience and energy security.
Reliability
Reliability
The hydrogen energy storage system can store renewably-generated electricity for durations longer than 24 hours, thereby increasing the site's electric reliability.
Key Project Members
Gordon H Dash
President
https://www.dashcleanenergy.com
Subrecipients
Palmdale Water District Public Facilities Corporation
University of California, Irvine
Wind Energy Resources and Solutions Inc.
Stoel Rives LLP
Cory Thompson Shumaker
POWER Engineers, Incorporated
Space Between LLC
Teledyne Energy Systems, Inc
Bobby Laviguer
Match Partners
Palmdale Water District Public Facilities Corporation
Wind Energy Resources and Solutions Inc.
Advanced Carbon Technologies, LLC
Cory Thompson Shumaker
POWER Engineers, Incorporated
