OREANDA-NEWS. March 16, 2016. In close collaboration with innovative commercial parties like Accenda, Stedin, Hyundai, RDW and Gasterra and with students from TU Delft, The Hague University of Applied Sciences and ROC Mondriaan, they converted the zero-emission Hyundai IX35 FCEV into a power plant on wheels; a European first!

Car as Power Plant

The research group Future Energy Systems, led by professor Ad van Wijk at the Process & Energy department, faculty of 3mE, researches several kinds of integrated system applications of the fuel cell, as they do in the programme Car as Power Plant. Fuel cell cars produce electricity, heat and clean water out of hydrogen. This can be used in homes, schools and offices. The converted  Hyundai fuel cell car now has a capacity of 10 kW. That is sufficient to power on average ten homes. With the socket in place the innovators managed to moderate the car in such a way that it can distribute its electricity to the grid or even directly to a house, for instance to complement the available wind and solar power. These applications will be researched and tested in the next stage of the programme.

Paradigm shift on a systems level

This specific innovation brings along many more technological challenges. How can the car distribute its electricity to the grid in such a way that the grid becomes more stable, considering the fluctuations in the supply of wind and solar resources? And how to produce hydrogen locally and sustainably, for instance using solar power, and having the hydrogen then stored and distributed. Also non technological challenges will arise, related to for instance the business models of energy companies, the acceptance by car owners, the applicability of existing laws and regulations about energy production and distribution or even the training and education for the automobile or installation sector. If these kind of paradigm shifting innovations are to be implemented successfully in practice, it is mandatory to think and innovate on a systems level.

System innovations at The Green Village, TU Delft

At the TU Delft campus numerous commercial parties work alongside scientists to develop, test and demonstrate these kinds of system innovations. The Green Village, the ‘living systems lab’ by and for TU Delft, which is currently under construction, unites all stakeholders needed. Scientists and students, corporates and SME’s, government and legislators participate in several Innovation Programmes, such as Car as Power Plant. All parties involved are bringing in their own expertise, together accelerating the development of radical systems innovations in our joint effort to co-create a sustainable future.

More information

For more information about Car as Power Plant please contact professor Ad van Wijk, tel. 015 27 820 64, a.j.m.vanwijk@tudelft.nl.
For more information about The Green Village please contact Serge Santoo, 06 47 132 162, serge.santoo@thegreenvillage.org.