$23 million energy center at UBC combines hydro, solar and hydrogen energy

VANCOUVER — Metro Vancouver now has a hydrogen refueling station that uses renewable energy thanks to a new $23 million hydrogen energy center at the University of B.C.

According to UBC, the Smart Hydrogen Energy District, also called SHED, located on the Point Gray campus, is the first in the province to combine hydro, solar and hydrogen in one location. All renewable energy sources are connected to a unified microgrid.

Hydrogen as an automotive fuel is becoming increasingly available as an option for cleaning up carbon emissions from transportation.

Energy Minister Josie Osborne called SHED “another step forward” in building a clean economy.

“By integrating energy, transportation and design, SHED not only supports our CleanBC goals, but also positions British Columbia as a global leader in the hydrogen economy,” she said at the center’s opening this week.

UBC President Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon said the new center will provide the province with significant new research and educational opportunities.

“Hydrogen has the potential to play a key role in Canada’s transition to a low-carbon economy,” Dr. Walter Mérida, SHED research director and professor of mechanical engineering in the faculty of applied sciences, said in a statement released by UBC.

“With SHED, we are showing that hydrogen is the bridge between renewable energy and sustainable energy services. As technologies become smarter and interconnected, we can stop thinking about gas, electricity and digital networks as separate entities.”

According to UBC, solar panels on the roof power both the hydrogen refueling station and nearby electric vehicle charging stations.

Funding for the center comes from the province ($8.3 million in low-carbon fuel credits), the federal government ($5 million) and the Canada Foundation for Innovation ($4.6 million). The rest comes from industry partners.

Last year, Hydrogen Technologies and Energy Corp. based in Burnaby, has launched its fifth hydrogen refueling station in Kelowna and the first outside the Lower Mainland. The remaining stations are in Saanich, North Vancouver, Vancouver and Burnaby.

UBC says these stations can refuel light- and medium-duty vehicles, such as a small delivery truck. However, the hydrogen fuel station at UBC will be the first in the province to service trucks.

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles emit only water vapor, and battery-powered electric vehicles are increasingly in use as governments shift away from fossil fuels to curb global warming.

>>> To comment on this article, write a letter to the editor: (e-mail address protected)