Solid-State Hydrogen Storage for Distributed and Backup Energy

Solid-State Hydrogen Storage: Enabling Safe, Distributed Clean Energy

Hydrogen is increasingly viewed as a critical component of global decarbonization strategies, from transportation and logistics to distributed power and industrial backup. Yet widespread adoption has been slowed by challenges in how hydrogen is stored and delivered. Conventional storage methods — compressed gas and cryogenic liquid — involve trade-offs in safety, energy intensity, and cost.

Harnyss has developed a solid-state hydrogen storage platform that addresses these challenges directly. By storing hydrogen safely at low pressure in non-pyrophoric materials, Harnyss enables a new class of deployable, point-of-use hydrogen systems that support both mobile and stationary applications.

Solid-State Storage Without Compression or Cryogenics

The core of the Harnyss hydrogen storage system is a proprietary solid-state storage medium. Hydrogen is absorbed into the storage matrix under modest pressure conditions, typically under 200 psi, and released on demand as needed by downstream systems.

This storage method provides several operational advantages:

• No compression required — reducing infrastructure, energy use, and safety concerns
• No cryogenic cooling — eliminating boil-off, venting, and maintenance complexity
• Non-pyrophoric materials — minimizing fire and explosion risk
• Passive operation — without pumps or active mechanical systems
• Modular formats — from portable cylinders to container-scale applications

These features make solid-state hydrogen storage particularly valuable for distributed energy and point-of-use applications where space, safety, and simplicity are at a premium.

On-Site Hydrogen Production and Storage

A key application of the Harnyss solution is pairing electrolyzers with solid-state hydrogen storage. Water is split into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable energy, and the hydrogen is stored directly on site in Harnyss’ low-pressure canisters. This approach creates a closed-loop, zero-emissions fuel cycle that is especially beneficial for:

• Islanded microgrids or remote communities
• Military or defense facilities seeking logistics-free energy security
• Backup power systems for critical infrastructure
• Renewable-rich industrial zones requiring energy buffering

Hydrogen is stored safely at the source, and can be drawn on when needed to power fuel cells integrated into the Oasis microgrid platform or other end-use devices.

Backup Power and Microgrid Integration

Harnyss hydrogen storage is engineered to work seamlessly with the Harnyss Oasis microgrid — a modular, electrostatic energy storage system that operates as a plug-and-play microgrid for both grid-tied and off-grid settings.

In this configuration, the electrostatic energy system handles high-frequency cycling, while the hydrogen and fuel cell subsystem provides extended-duration backup. The result is a hybrid microgrid with:

• Instantaneous response and conditioned power delivery
• On-demand hydrogen backup for long outages or black start scenarios
• Zero reliance on diesel or external hydrogen supply chains
• No thermal runaway, no toxic emissions, and low maintenance

The entire system is modular, transportable, and scalable from a few kilograms of hydrogen up to multi-container configurations supporting tens of megawatt-hours of resilient power.

Mobility and Industrial Use Cases

Beyond stationary storage, Harnyss hydrogen canisters are available in formats optimized for mobility. These include:

• 1–5 kg containers for forklifts and material handling
• 10–40 kg modules for industrial platforms or backup generators
• Custom integrations with electric powertrains for lightweight, fuel-cell-based vehicles

Refueling requires no compressors or refrigeration. Canisters can be hot-swapped or recharged on site using small-scale electrolyzers, reducing operational downtime while supporting zero-emission fleet goals.

Safety, Scalability, and Simplicity

As demand grows for distributed clean hydrogen solutions, Harnyss systems provide a storage model that emphasizes:

• Operator safety, with non-pyrophoric media and sub-ambient operating conditions
• Scalability, from handheld units to containerized systems
• Infrastructure independence, removing the need for centralized hydrogen delivery or diesel backup

These systems are already under evaluation or deployment in collaboration with automotive, aerospace, and logistics partners across North America and abroad.

Conclusion

Hydrogen’s role in the clean energy transition depends on how safely and efficiently it can be stored and accessed. Harnyss solid-state hydrogen storage offers a practical, modular solution that removes the barriers of compression, cryogenics, and safety complexity. Whether used to back up remote facilities, fuel industrial fleets, or support solar-powered microgrids, this technology expands where and how hydrogen can be deployed.

As energy systems move toward decentralization and clean backup, solid-state hydrogen storage will play a central role — not only in enabling zero-emissions energy, but in making it easy to use, safe to store, and available where it’s needed most.