August 2025 Top Insight: Hydrogen’s Evolving Role in the Energy Transition
September 19, 2025
Last month’s top community insight comes from our partner XBauen, with Gedeon, General Manager of XBauen, leading the discussion on one of the most important and often misunderstood players in the clean energy space: hydrogen.
The global energy transition is not about one source replacing all others, but about building a resilient and interconnected system. Solar and wind are already delivering gigawatts of clean power worldwide. But their very strength, abundance, creates a challenge: supply doesn’t always match demand.
When the sun shines brightest, or when winds surge at night, energy production can outpace grid demand. Traditionally, batteries have been seen as the go-to storage solution. As Makama, CEO of Mam Co-Live Engineering Services (a firm specializing in renewable energy solutions), noted in our August exchange, falling costs and supportive policies are pushing solar + storage toward mainstream industrial adoption, especially for companies committed to sustainability.
But here’s where the conversation gets interesting.
Hydrogen: Not a Competitor, but a Partner
As Gedeon (XBauen) emphasized, hydrogen isn’t here to compete with renewables, it’s here to work with them. By channeling surplus solar or wind power into electrolyzers, we can convert excess electricity into hydrogen. Unlike electricity, hydrogen doesn’t vanish the moment the sun sets, or the wind drops. It can be safely stored for weeks or months, then deployed when and where it’s needed, either for grid balancing, industrial processes, or transport fleets.
This makes hydrogen uniquely suited to tackle two pressing challenges renewables face:
Seasonal gaps when extended periods of low wind or sun reduce output.
Industrial decarbonization in sectors like steel, cement, shipping, and aviation, where direct electrification falls short.
In Gedeon’s words, hydrogen becomes the “connective tissue” between intermittent renewables and constant energy demand.
A Subtle Divergence: Batteries vs. Hydrogen?
Where perspectives start to diverge is around storage dominance.
Makama’s view (Mam Co-Live Engineering Services): Solar + battery storage is likely to become a dominant industrial energy source over the next 10–20 years, as costs continue to fall.
Gedeon’s view (XBauen): While solar PV will indeed dominate in high-irradiance regions, the rising costs and supply chain constraints of critical battery minerals (like lithium) will limit how far batteries alone can take us. That opens the door for alternatives like hydrogen and hydropower to share a bigger role.
At SUNAGO, we see value in both perspectives. The big question we’re exploring with our partners is:
Will hydrogen remain a complementary solution, or could it evolve into a mainstream storage option that competes head-to-head with batteries?
The Blindspot We Need to Watch
One risk is treating hydrogen as a “future technology” instead of a present-day opportunity. The reality is: hydrogen is already scaling, but integration depends on infrastructure, safety protocols, and clear policy signals. The other blindspot is assuming that any one solution - whether batteries, hydrogen, or renewables - can meet all needs. The truth is more complex: the transition will demand a mosaic of solutions.
Where We Stand
For August 2025, our top insight is this: Hydrogen is no longer a distant dream. It is a bridge - connecting renewables to reliability, industries to decarbonization, and today’s systems to tomorrow’s aspirations.
The pace of adoption won’t be set by technology alone, but by how open we are to weaving together diverse solutions and how quickly industries, policymakers, and communities can align to make it happen.
Further Reading
For readers who want to explore more about hydrogen, solar, and storage technologies:
Want to learn more about the experts behind these insights?
Visit XBauen and Mam Co-Live Engineering Services on our website to explore their work and perspectives.