Battery technology is a great way of reducing on-site emissions for low-power, lightweight uses. But for a battery to be usable, it must be recharged. For off-grid applications where high energy output is required, a battery solution with enough capacity will prove too bulky and expensive, and would also need to be transported off site to be recharged. The long charging time between uses also means batteries are not practical for assets that are highly utilised. So while batteries can be useful for lower-power, less continuously utilised assets, hydrogen is much better suited for use cases where diesel has traditionally been employed – off grid, high-power, high-utilisation applications.
It is worth adding that most hydrogen fuel cell generators already house a battery – of typically half the fuel cell’s power in capacity. So a 65kW fuel cell might be twinned with a 35kWh battery. This allows for instant startup, almost silent power, and efficient fuel consumption in low power draw situations.
