Honda Home Energy Station IV in Operation

November 21, 2007 | By Hydro Kevin Kantola | Filed in: Home Hydrogen Fueling, Hydrogen Fuel Production.

Last week, at the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show, the Honda FCX Clarity got all the hoopla. But, Honda made another announcement just as important and that is the development of the Home Energy Station IV.

This fourth generation home hydrogen fueling station is an important part of developing the budding infrastructure needed to support H2 cars. The Home Energy Station IV taps into a house’s natural gas supply and can also generate heat and electricity for the residence as well.

The Honda Home Energy Station IV works by the steam reforming of natural gas. According to the Honda spokesmen I talked with, half of the hydrogen comes from the steam and half from the natural gas, cutting down on CO2 emissions by 30-percent.

The station also uses a dual mode fuel cell stack. One mode of the stack operates as a hydrogen purifier and the other generates electricity.

The Home Energy Station IV has been a joint venture between Honda and Plug Power Incorporated since 2003. The Home Energy Station IV is currently in operation at the Honda R&D facility in Torrance, California.

Home hydrogen fueling stations will be an imperative part of the building of the needed infrastructure. Kudos to Honda for developing an onsite on-demand hydrogen refueling station that will help usher in the next generation of hydrogen vehicles.


3 comments on “Honda Home Energy Station IV in Operation

  1. How can I find a current list of hydrogen refueling stations. I live in Milwaukee WI. Even if there are none now, I want to know where/when they plan to build them.

  2. How can I find a current list of hydrogen refueling stations. I live in Milwaukee WI. Even if there are none now, I want to know where/when they plan to build them.