News

A Dalhousie Engineering hydrogen research lab has reached a new milestone that could help speed up the approval of next-generation home appliances designed to run on hydrogen-natural gas blends.

The Hydrogen Applications Research Laboratory (HARL), led by Faculty of Engineering researcher Dr. Michael Pegg, has been granted access to participate in UL Solutions’s Third-Party Test Data Program, an international framework used to support the verification of product safety claims before they reach the market.

“This means the lab’s test results can now be used in official safety claim verification processes,” says Dr. Pegg. “This will help manufacturers move more efficiently through development and approval while maintaining high safety standards.”

Hydrogen at Home

Across Canada, hydrogen is being explored as a lower-carbon energy option for household appliances and other end uses. However, before “hydrogen-ready” and “hydrogen-compatible” appliances reach everyday homes, manufacturers must first demonstrate that their products can operate safely and reliably under real-world conditions.

That’s where HARL comes in. Established in 2024 in partnership with local energy provider Eastward Energy, the facility is the first of its kind in the region, supporting Nova Scotia’s broader efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reach net-zero by 2050.

Since its launch, Pegg and his team have been testing how household appliances such as barbeques and stoves perform when using hydrogen fuels. HARL is one of the few facilities in the region equipped to carry out this type of testing, offering more than 60 assessments examining ignition, flammability, temperature changes, ventilation, wind effects, and appliance performance.

“These tests are designed to replicate conditions appliances may face in real homes,” says Pegg. “Our goal is to provide the data needed to understand how hydrogen blends behave in practice, and to ensure manufacturers can design products that are both safe and reliable.”

Global Recognition

The Third-Party Test Data Program allows data generated in the lab to be used to support verification of both hydrogen-ready and hydrogen-compatible market claims. “Hydrogen-ready” refers to appliances that may require a conversion kit to operate with hydrogen blends, while “hydrogen-compatible” refers to appliances that can operate without one. For manufacturers, this can reduce duplication of testing and expedite approval processes with international certification bodies.

HARL operates under ISO 17025 standards, an international quality framework that ensures testing procedures are consistent, traceable, and reliable. This standard is widely required for regulatory acceptance of technical data.

“Claim verification activities play a key role in the commercialization of clean technologies, supporting both provincial economic growth and decarbonization goals,” says project lead and Dalhousie University Chemical Engineering alum Hailey Taylor. “These services can help manufacturers streamline market access while strengthening the clean energy value chain.”

“This is a major step forward not just for our lab, but for the region as a whole,” adds Pegg. “By gaining access to this program, we can support manufacturers with high-quality testing here in Atlantic Canada. That lowers barriers to innovation and keeps investment local and helps position Nova Scotia as a leader in clean energy technology development.”

The designation is also expected to strengthen research and industry partnerships, including ongoing collaboration with Eastward Energy as the company continues exploring lower-carbon fuel development.

“Participation in this program strengthens Atlantic Canada’s capacity to support appliance manufacturers and advance the safe adoption of lower-carbon fuels,” says Chris MacAulay. “Partnering with HARL helps accelerate practical, locally delivered testing and research that will be important as we explore the role hydrogen blends can play in the region’s energy future.”

HARL is part of Dalhousie’s broader research efforts focused on safe, reliable, and lower-carbon energy systems, including hydrogen and natural gas technologies.