Vitovalor – Hydrogen Fuel Cell heating solution

The Vitovalor is an incredibly efficient, environmentally friendly, home heating solution – the latest in heating technology. It provides simultaneous heating and hot water using advanced fuel cell technology to convert hydrogen into energy.

The Vitovalor can produce a thermal output of over 30KW, enough for an average 4 person family of an averagely insulated house, and has a maximum electrical output of 18Kwh over the course of the day, sufficient to cover the basic requirement of a household (when paired with a power storage solution, all the energy produced could by the home owner).  This leads to lower energy costs, less Co2 and greater independence from external power suppliers.

Key Features

• Up to 30% lower energy bills compared with gas condensing technology
• Protect the environment through lower CO2 emissions
• Compact design with a small footprint
• Energy efficiency class: A++

Combined Heat & Power and Hydrogen Fuel Cells Explained

What is combined heat & power?

Combined Heat and Power, also referred to as CHP, is where a device creates both heat and electricity from the same unit. Typically a CHP unit is actually designed to produce electricity and the byproduct of this process is heat, which is used for the central heating and hot water. CHP units have been available since the 1970’s but typically for industrial or commercial applications until relatively recently.

What is a hydrogen fuel cell?

There are several types of fuel cell ( SOFC, PAFC and PEMFC ) but only one of these is currently available for the domestic market which uses PEMFC ( Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell ) and is made by Viessmann and houses a Panasonic fuel cell. The Panasonic fuel cell operates at much lower temperatures than other fuel cells and provides an excellent ratio between heat and power (nearly 1:1).

Is CHP suitable for my home?

The Viessmann Vitovalor is designed for domestic customers and runs on natural gas, so you need to have a gas supply in order for it to operate. The Vitovalor is designed to meet the needs of detached and semi-detached homes, and will easily cover the base load of your electricity requirements and heating demands. The Panasonic fuel cell is tried and tested with over 200,000 units installed in Japan.

Is CHP/Hydrogen Fuel Cell suitable for my business?

It is possible to link more than one Vitovalor and so could potentially meet a commercial customers demands but we would advise calling or emailing to discuss particular requirements.

About the Viessmann Vitovalor

How does a chp plant work?

The hydrogen fuel cell used within the Viessmann Vitovalor uses an electrochemical reaction, referred to as cold combustion.
The principle is basically quite simple: Hydrogen contains positive ions and negative electrons. These are separated and the negative electrons then migrate from the anode to the cathode to create electricity. The byproduct of this chemical reaction is heat which is used for central heating and domestic hot water.

Is it environmentally friendly?

The Viessmann Vitovalor uses natural gas and therefore is not strictly speaking a renewable. However, by producing electricity directly where it is used removes the huge losses incurred when electricity is created by generating stations and transported to domestic users. These losses are due to combustion (10% of the energy is lost), turbine efficiency (depends on the system used) and transmission losses (typically up to 10%). Also, the heat generated is not lost but used, so the vitovalor is incredibly efficient resulting in up to 40 percent less consumption of fossil fuels compared to the conventional generation of electricity and heat, along with up to 30 percent CO2 savings. Further evidence is the Vitovalor PT2 has been awarded the highest possible energy label: A++ in the energy efficiency class for heating.The Fuel Cell also produces, for the UK, more reliable energy than some renewable technologies as it does not depend on sun light (PV panels) or external air temperatures (Air Source Heat Pump).

Is it cost effective?

The vitovalor can save between £378 and £840 a year depending if all electricity produced is used “in house”.
£378 is based on 4500 KwH per year being produced, but only 60% is used, at 14p/KwH.
£840 is based on 6000 KwH per year ( maximum output ) and all 100% is used in house ( using a power storage device ) at 14p/KwH.applications until relatively recently

Of course, each case is individual and depends on the size of home, its insulation levels, the number of people living there and their lifestyles and attitudes towards the environment, but we hope this Q&A goes some way in explaining this exciting technology.