The Life Zero Energy Mod project continues to make good progress, adjusting the parameters of the hydrogen and renewable energy system to ensure its correct operation. Within this framework, a technical workshop was held with the project partners at the facilities of Aragon Hydrogen Foundation.

Monitoring: Key to the Success of the Habitable Module

Monitoring is a crucial aspect in projects such as Life Zero Energy Mod, as it allows real-time data collection on system performance and the detection of possible anomalies. This information is essential to optimise the operation of the habitable module and ensure its correct maintenance.

Collaboration and Experience Sharing

The technical workshop provided an excellent opportunity for the project partners to share their experience and expertise in hydrogen and renewable system monitoring. Topics such as the selection of suitable sensors, the configuration of data acquisition systems and the analysis of collected data were addressed.

Commitment to Sustainability

The Life Zero Energy Mod project aims to develop a prototype of an energy self-sufficient single-family house, using hydrogen and renewable energies as primary energy sources. This project is aligned with the European Union’s objectives of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Our project is nominated for the Energy Globe World Award. The ENERGY GLOBE Award is an environmental prize awarded annually in more than 180 countries by the Austrian-based non-profit foundation ENERGY GLOBE.

The award recognises projects that focus on energy efficiency, sustainability and the use of renewable energies. The aim is to highlight solutions to environmental problems.

The prize is awarded in the categories of: Earth, Fire, Water, Air and Youth. In the case of Life Zero Energy Mod, the project is in the “Air” category, which focuses on reducing emissions and improving air quality, the awards website explains.

The awards ceremony will take place on 25 January 2024 in Trondheim, Norway. The event will start with the conference “Net Zero Energy and Prosperity”. In addition, as a nominated project, you will have the opportunity to present to more than 150 guests from the 25 nominated projects in the different categories.

Progress shown in EFC 2023.

The 10th edition of the “Piero Lunghi European Conference on Fuel Cells and Hydrogen” was held on the beautiful island of Capri from 13 to 15 September.

It was organised by ATENA (High Technology District in the field of Energy and Environment), ENEA (the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), the University “Parthenope” of Naples and the University of Perugia.

During the event, Carlos Arié, Innovation Technician at Aragon Hydrogen Foundation, presented the Life Zero Energy Mod project, with the intention of showing the general characteristics and progress of the project.

The presentation of the project took place during the session “Integrated hydrogen systems”, where he highlighted Hydrogen: a storage solution of renewable energy for habitable mobile modules, through the Life Zero Energy Mod project.

EFC 2023 welcomed more than 300 participants from all over the world and has established itself as the main Italian event on hydrogen and fuel cells, attracting selected and valuable visitors from all over the world and especially from the most active countries in this field.

The event has delved into pioneering research and explored innovative solutions through diverse perspectives and expertise in the world of H2.

It has been an enjoyable and interesting journey through the world of H2&FC, through stimulating debates, valuable insights and forging new connections within our professional community.

Life Zero Energy Mod module works through photovoltaic panels.

Currently we are at the Life Zero Energy Mod performing load testing of batteries and other equipment.
We are taking the opportunity to review the data we are monitoring and perform the first analyses.

Since last Friday, July 22nd, the Life Zero Energy Mod module is working in autonomous mode, covering the energy consumption thanks to the energy generated by the photovoltaic panels and stored in the batteries. Thus, the module was disconnected from the power grid and the demo in Zaragoza is operational.

The main objective of this project is to develop a robust, transportable and easy to install habitable module based on the Passivhaus standard, linked to renewable energy resources (photovoltaic and wind) and a hybrid storage system that combines the use of batteries with a seasonal solution based on hydrogen technology. This avoids the consumption of diesel, which is often used as an energy supply in isolated environments, and its associated emissions.

In addition, the modules require 90% less energy than existing modules and are self-sufficient, as the little energy they need to operate is generated and stored in the form of hydrogen.

LIFE ZERO ENERGY MOD develops the first habitable, emission-free and self-sufficient mobile modules thanks to renewable energies and hydrogen technology.

The San Jorge Army Base in Zaragoza has hosted a presentation of this initiative coordinated by the Hydrogen Aragon Foundation and funded by the European project LIFE + in which also participate the Defense University Center and the companies ARPA EMC and B-Haus.

LIFE ZEROENERGYMOD is a demonstrative innovation project that aims to achieve habitable mobile modules with almost zero energy demand that can also be satisfied with renewable resources, without generating emissions.

The main objective of this project is to develop a robust, transportable and easy to install habitable module based on the Passivhaus standard, linked to renewable energy resources (photovoltaic and wind) and a hybrid storage system that combines the use of batteries with a seasonal solution based on hydrogen technology. This avoids the consumption of diesel, which is often used as an energy supply in isolated environments, and its associated emissions. In addition, the modules require 90% less energy than existing modules and are self-sufficient, as the little energy they need to operate is generated and stored in the form of hydrogen.

During the first year of the project, which was launched at the end of 2020, the consortium has focused on creating a baseline assessment of materials and construction techniques to develop a module that meets the required technical and mobility requirements. In the second year, a prototype was built at the facilities of the company ARPA Equipos Móviles de Campaña, which was subsequently disassembled, moved and reassembled at the Army’s San Jorge Base in Zaragoza, in what is the first demonstration of the project.

Life Zero Energy Mod in two ways

Initially, two types of independent modules were proposed: PASSIVMOD (habitable module) and ENERMOD (renewable energy generation and storage module). During the design process, the initial configuration has evolved into a more compact one, where the ENERMOD is integrated into the construction solution of the living modules based on Passivhaus standards. This innovation increases the surface area and improves the livability and comfort of the modules, increasing the efficiency and performance of the energy module.

The second half of the project will focus on the demonstration and monitoring of the constructed prototype. For this, there were initially two demonstration sites at military bases: first in Zaragoza, Spain and then in Riga, Latvia. In 2021, a third demonstration site was included at the Spanish base Gabriel de Castilla in Antarctica, to validate the suitability of the prototype in one of the most extreme environments known.

In 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the area near the second demonstration site has become very unstable and presents risks that could seriously compromise the viability of the project. In view of this circumstance, the consortium proposed to extend the demonstration in Spain and avoid moving the prototype to Latvia. In addition, these tests will be complemented with the development of a digital twin of the array that will be validated by real data collected both in our country and in Antarctica.

The ZEROENERGYMOD project is coordinated by the Foundation for the Development of New Hydrogen Technologies in Aragon and also involves the University Center of Defense and the Aragonese companies ARPA EMC and B-Haus. It has a budget of more than one million euros, 55% of which is financed by the European LIFE+ project.