The clean energy transition is picking up speed, and hydrogen is ready to play a leading role. As a fuel option, hydrogen can significantly cut carbon emissions and presents exciting possibilities for energy independence, sustainability, and local resilience. Like other powerful innovations, it brings its own unique challenges. Challenges lie particularly in safety when integrating it into our existing infrastructure, not to mention preparing the workforce for its widespread adoption and awareness of material incompatibilities.

The “Manual of Recommended Practices for Hydrogen Fuel Gas” marks a critical milestone in the journey to making hydrogen an allowable fuel source option for the built environment.

Developed through a collaborative and open process involving industry leaders, labor unions, and forward thinking utilities, integration of the manual— published by IAPMO — provides actionable guidance language for hydrogen gas piping written in enforceable language to ensure safety and compliance at every level. This enforceable and adoptable manual is set to ensure hydrogen can be installed safely and inspected effectively when integrated into various piping applications.

COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS FORGING PROGRESS

Hydrogen’s potential has been well known for a very long time, but only recently has the research and interest caught up. IAPMO spearheaded the Innovation Task Group and openly brought together industry voices to address the specific safety concerns of hydrogen, providing a transparent public comment period that resulted in zero nonmember comments and published accordingly upon its completion. This diverse task group met regularly for about two years and drew input from many of the plumbing and mechanical experts in the field, focusing on materials, installation options, and inspection protocols needed to make hydrogen adoption safe and effective. As staff liaison for the project, I learned so much by working with these leaders and consider myself privileged to serve in this capacity.

When it comes to challenges and learning, we encouraged robust conversation regarding hydrogen’s high flammability; with this the NFPA’s contributions and collaboration as members was crucial. They brought fire safety expertise to the subject matter by way of storage, conveyance, and emergency protocols, ensuring the new manual aligns with fire safety best practices and encourages code harmony for future iterations. This overlap in collaboration creates fluidity in the trades, ensuring no safety concerns are left unclarified for the installers and inspectors of piping systems.

Recognizing that safe implementation requires a skilled workforce, labor unions had a major role in the technical contributions to the publication, with dedicated leadership from both sides of the country.

Chris Cheek, Piping Industry Progress & Education Trust Fund director, Los Angeles, and chairman of the manual, said, “Hydrogen is an important and forward-thinking mission, considering the role it can play in reducing carbon emissions. Ensuring safety and competence in installation is critical, given the unique properties of hydrogen.” This is exactly why we got to business on creating this impactful best practice manual, written in enforceable language and available for adoption.

Utility companies like SoCalGas — based in, you guessed it, Southern California — are known for their innovation in hydrogen projects. Upon hearing of the effort, they got involved in the call to action and contributed staff resources to join our meetings and be part of the task group. Utilities like these are pioneers, actively contributing insights from largescale project research.

These partnerships and dedicated industry volunteers provided practical information and guidance in building “The first comprehensive hydrogen manual designed to support the safe and efficient installation of H2 fuel gas piping systems,” published by IAPMO in November 2024 and available for FREE DOWNLOAD at https://www.iapmo.org/campaigns/hydrogen-fuel-gas-piping-manual.

KEEPING PACE WITH TECHNOLOGY

Recognizing hydrogen’s potential to cause material embrittlement and leakage, the manual specifies resilient materials like listed and approved steel pipe and tubing, corrugated stainless steel, and Type K/L copper pipe and tubing for hydrogen piping systems in buildings. These proven materials were selected based on their durability and compatibility and are focused on minimizing the risk of leaks or system failures, while providing a place for future eligibility of advanced materials. Enforceable language introduces pressure and testing protocols to verify system integrity, with room for advancement as sources continue to ponder delivery methods and incoming pressures to the building meter. Given hydrogen’s unique lightweight, low-density properties, inspection protocols are enhanced to include rough piping inspections and final system checks, ensuring each installation meets stringent and well-documented safety standards while keeping up with the technology.

The language outlines critical guidelines for system design and material selection, recommending corrosion-resistant material joining methods and providing a useful pipe sizing table for load calculations with equations available for modification as seen fit by an engineer. It emphasizes thorough testing and detailed documentation at each stage, from initial installation to final inspection.

Safety is always the top priority, and the new adoptable manual includes H2 appliance and equipment connection guidance to ensure systems are installed safely when connected to building piping per the construction documents required. The manual is an essential resource for professionals in plumbing and mechanical trades, equipping them with the knowledge and protocols needed to install hydrogen systems, appliances and appurtenances with confidence.

THE ROLE OF HYBRID SYSTEMS

As hydrogen enters the mainstream, hybrid energy systems that combine hydrogen with geothermal or thermal energy networks (TENs) are becoming increasingly interesting. These systems create multilayered building resilience and drastically reduce electrical grid dependency, which is especially beneficial in high energy demand settings like data centers and manufacturing facilities. With continued investment in hydrogen hubs, advancements in electrolyzer efficiency, and hybrid solutions that incorporate other water-sourced energy solutions, hydrogen is ready to transform infrastructure.

In a conceptual hybrid model, green hydrogen is produced through electrolysis powered by renewables like thermal solar, stored on-site, and combined with geothermal or thermal energy networks to handle hydronic heating and cooling needs with very little resistance heating that utilizes electricity. This approach minimizes energy waste, enhances local resilience, and contributes to decarbonization efforts. Facilities that adopt these hybrid systems can become partially independent of the grid, providing excess energy back to local networks and helping stabilize supply during periods of peak demand.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs initiative is a key in the transition to a clean energy economy, driven by the goal of making hydrogen a useful element in reducing emissions across various sectors. The DOE is investing heavily and has announced a $7 billion dollar funding opportunity through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and building multiple hydrogen hubs across the country. These hubs are designed to connect hydrogen producers, infrastructure development, and end users within a regional area, while creating local jobs and clean independent energy. By advancing these hubs, the DOE aims to stimulate economic growth and accelerate the use of clean hydrogen. These hubs will serve as innovation centers, helping to improve scientific leadership, production technologies and storage breakthroughs by establishing real-life best practices for safe deployment in a scalable way.

Large-scale projects and partnerships are advancing the hydrogen field by providing real-world data. SoCalGas’ “Angeles Link” project aims to become the largest clean hydrogen infrastructure system in the U.S. and is designed to supply renewable H2 to the Los Angeles area in the near future. This project exemplifies how utilities are working to lead the way, setting up regional projects that demonstrate hydrogen’s feasibility and positive impact on the local environment and providing another case study.

Speaking of studies, we should tip our hat to the joint research project between SoCalGas and EVOLOH that has achieved a 15% increase in hydrogen production efficiency while reducing costs simultaneously. In a press release issued by SoCalGas they said, “the enhancements achieved in the project could reduce the capital costs of the electrolyzer technology by approximately 25% and could help make the cost of clean renewable hydrogen more affordable.” These advancements and research partnerships are key to making hydrogen production more accessible and scalable.

These innovative projects not only drive technological progress but also influence the practical aspects of industry development of fuels, allowing for real-time adjustments and innovations that may benefit the entire planet.

WORKFORCE PREPAREDNESS

As the plumbing and mechanical industries begin to embrace hydrogen, it’s essential to have a workforce that can be trained and certified to handle these systems safely. Labor unions and training organizations are stepping up to fill this need by providing specialized training on hydrogen’s properties, safe handling procedures, and best practices for installation. Fuel gas training for plumbers and pipefitters is tirelessly being updated to ensure that professionals who work with modern fuels like hydrogen systems maintain the highest safety standards, allowing them to confidently perform the installation and be ready for inspection. With each new project and program, we are building a future-ready workforce that will play a critical role in our clean energy future.

CATALYSTS FOR A CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE

By setting standards and preparing the skilled workforce, codes and standards enable us to build scalable training and education, making the job site and the built environment safer. As these standards evolve and hydrogen technologies become more accessible, we get closer to a clean energy future. The path forward is research and with each advancement, we’re building a foundation for the most abundant element on our planet to become a reliable, sustainable fuel source that could power endless generations.

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John Mullen
John Mullen brings new energy into the plumbing and mechanical industry, with nearly 2 decades of unique leadership experience and vision for more intelligent and sustainable systems. As a fourth-generation plumber, Mullen has engaged in a multitude of complex projects from the position of apprentice to a highly accountable company executive. As director of Technical Services and Research at IAPMO, and technical liaison to the Radiant Professionals Alliance, he engages with industry professionals throughout the world to work together on safety initiatives, code-related topics and creates technical content for education and advocacy.

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