Strizki runs the 3,000-square-foot house with electricity generated by a 1,000-square-foot roof full of photovoltaic cells on a nearby building, an electrolyzer that uses the solar power to generate hydrogen from water, and a number of hydrogen tanks that store the gas until it is needed by the fuel cell.

I had roughed up a similar system for my house, which I hope to renovate and expand in the next 12 months. In my system, I could generate adequate power even in the winter because TN gets enough sunlight. The big reason why I doubt I'll do it is cost. It would cost an additional $75K and even when amortized, would still be a significant cost driver for operating the home. My alternative system would use a geo-thermal heating and cooling system which can still be ran by solar panels. The rest of the energy consumption would come from utilities, but since HVAC is the highest draw, would cut my utilities by over 2/3, particularly in the summer.

Solar power eliminates utility bills in U.S. home