Most energy projects don’t fail because the technology is impossible. They fail because the timeline is too long. A key bottleneck is interconnection. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab’s “Queued Up” data shows projects built in 2023 took nearly 5 years from interconnection request to commercial operation. Energy Markets & Planning+1
HyWatts is built around a simple response to that reality:
Bring the power system on-site, store energy for when you need it, and stop waiting on upgrades. HyWatts+1
What Does HyWatts Do?
HyWatts sells a modular system it calls Power-Plant-in-a-Box™. It combines three parts into one on-site platform:
- Generate: on-site solar produces power for immediate use HyWatts+1
- Store: surplus power is converted into hydrogen and stored in tanks HyWatts+1
- Deliver: hydrogen is converted back into electricity when demand peaks or solar drops HyWatts+1
HyWatts positions it as “no dependence on the grid” and “installed in months, not years.” HyWatts+1
What is the Key Technology?
The core of HyWatts’ approach is a high-temperature reversible fuel cell: it acts as both an electrolyzer (electricity → hydrogen) and a fuel cell (hydrogen → electricity). HyWatts says combining both functions in one system cuts costs by 50%+ vs conventional hydrogen tech. HyWatts+1
Third party coverage describes it similarly as a reversible high temperature PEM fuel cell that can also work as an electrolyzer. pv magazine International+1
Why Does This Matter Right Now?
1) The grid is slow to expand
When interconnection timelines are pushing 4-5 years, “we’ll just add more load” turns into “we need power now.” Energy Markets & Planning+1
2) Batteries are gre, until you need days, not hours
Batteries are excellent for short duration gaps and fast response. But if your goal is multi-day coverage, costs and scale become tougher.
HyWatts’ pitch is basically: use batteries for quick response, and hydrogen for long duration. HyWatts+1
3) The use cases are real and growing
HyWatts targets situations where power demand is high and timing matters:
- EV charging hubs HyWatts+1
- AI / data centers HyWatts+1
- Communities / microgrids where grid access is slow or expensive HyWatts+1
What is HyWatts Claiming?
HyWatts highlights three headline metrics:
| Claim | What HyWatts says | Why it’s compelling |
| CapEx | “Up to 5× lower CapEx than lithium-ion batteries” HyWatts | If true, that’s a big unlock for long duration |
| Cost | “As low as 12¢/kWh vs 31¢+ battery-only” HyWatts | Gets you into “competitive power” territory |
| Timeline | “~9 month deployment vs multi-year grid upgrades” HyWatts | Speed is the whole point |
They also describe the system as turnkey, integrating renewable generation, hydrogen storage, and hybrid battery integration. HyWatts+1
Sizing: How Do They Package It?
HyWatts markets three configurations:
| Configuration | Capacity | Best fit |
| S | Up to 1 MW HyWatts | Small EV charging, micro-communities, off-grid clusters |
| M | 1–10 MW HyWatts | Mid-sized data centers, regional microgrids, industrial sites |
| L | 10+ MW HyWatts | Large industrial, major data centers, larger-scale applications |
They also list “Upcoming Projects” with Q4 2026 deployments (including an EV charging hub in Sacramento and a 172 household community in Kerman, CA). HyWatts
Questions to Ask
If you’re evaluating HyWatts (or any hydrogen storage system), ask these questions up front. This is where deals get real.
Cost and performance
- What assumptions drive the 12¢/kWh figure (solar resource, financing, utilization, discharge frequency)? HyWatts
- How often is the system expected to discharge hydrogen back to power (weekly, monthly, only during outages)?
- What’s included in “turnkey” (EPC, permitting support, commissioning, controls, O&M)?
Storage duration
- How many hours or days of autonomy are you designing for: 8 hours vs 72 hours?
- How does cost scale when you add more duration? (HyWatts says it scales by adding tanks.) HyWatts+1
Operational reality
- What maintenance cadence is required?
- What happens in low-solar months?
- What are the site safety requirements for hydrogen storage (setbacks, monitoring, permits)?
Final Thoughts
HyWatts is not selling “hydrogen as a trend.” They’re selling a specific product category:
On-site power + long duration storage that’s meant to bypass multi-year grid timelines. HyWatts+1
Whether their economics hold at scale depends on the details (duty cycle, solar resource, financing, and how often you actually need multi-day power). But the underlying idea is very straightforward:
If the grid can’t keep up on your timeline, you bring the power to the site. And HyWatts is building one of the cleaner, more integrated versions of that concept. pv magazine International+2HyWatts+2
