--- title: "This is the World’s First Home Hydrogen Battery" description: "Australian company Lavo has created the world's first home hydrogen battery. Find out how this hydrogen fuel cell works." date: "2021-01-22" modified: "2021-01-27" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/worlds-first-home-hydrogen-battery" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "hydrogen fuel" - "powerwall" - "powerwall 2" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # This is the World’s First Home Hydrogen Battery ![Australian company Lavo has decided to take on Tesla's Powerwall by developing a home battery storage solution that uses hydrogen.]() *\Image: Lavo\* ## Hydrogen House Australian energy company Lavo is throwing down the gauntlet to Tesla's Powerwall with a home battery storage system that doesn't rely on conventional batteries at all, [*New Atlas* reports]() — opting for hydrogen as fuel instead. For both systems, the idea is to soak up any excess energy generated through solar or wind energy systems, as well as provide an emergency ration of power in case the grid ever fails. Lavo's massive battery, which it's calling the Green Energy Storage System, is technically an electrolysis unit that can generate hydrogen from water, store it, and then turn it into electricity using a fuel cell, much like a hydrogen vehicle. Thanks to its massive 40 kilowatt-hours capacity, Lavo's battery has nearly three times the capacity of Tesla's current-gen Powerwall 2. That's plenty of energy to power an average home for two days straight — and a strident shot across the industry's bow. ## All That Power Lavo says its system will last longer than lithium battery systems thanks to its reliance on hydrogen gas rather than the chemicals in a conventional battery. It's also technically more environmentally friendly as it doesn't use as many rare earth metals. But then there's also the chance of fire or — in the very worst case — a Hindenburg-like explosion. Lavo says any leaks will disperse quickly, though, making it "inherently no more dangerous than other conventional fuels such as gasoline or natural gas," as the company writes in its [FAQ](). ## Inefficiencies On the downside, there are inefficiencies involved in storing hydrogen gas and then turning it into electricity. Lavo says its "round-trip efficiency is above 50 percent," far below your average lithium ion battery system's efficiency. Unsurprisingly, the system costs a pretty penny. The Energy Storage System goes for about $26,900, more than three Tesla Powerwall 2s in Australia, according to *New Atlas*. **READ MORE:** [World-first home hydrogen battery stores 3x the energy of a Powerwall 2]() \[*New Atlas*\] **More on the Powerwall:** *[Tesla Screens Flash Warning: Charge Your Cars Before CA Blackout]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()