top project

Houston energy leader wins hydrogen program's competition

The University of Houston's new hydrogen program selected an Houston executive's team as the top project of the course. Photo via Getty Images

An executive from Houston-based SCS Technologies is celebrating a win from his time at the University of Houston Hydrogen Economy Program.

Cody Johnson, CEO of SCS Technologies, a provider of CO2 measurement systems, petroleum LACT units, and methane vapor recovery units, was on the winning 2024 Spring Capstone Project team for the UH program with the project, "Business Roadmap for Utilizing Hydrogen in Houston." The presentation outlined possible profits of $1.8 billion over the contract life with $180 million in green H2 investments.

The winning capstone project demonstrated the implementation of decarbonization processes. It included the enhancement of “capacity utilization in existing industrial hydrogen production along the Houston Ship Channel through amine capture technology,” according to a news release.

The team also identified business opportunities in producing ammonia as a liquid carrier by using the Haber-Bosch process that would leverage maritime ammonia tanker fleets to ship to Western Europe and Northeast Asia markets.

"It was an honor to collaborate with my Hydrogen Economy Program teammates to explore business opportunities using existing technologies to produce clean hydrogen and reinvest profits to further advance decarbonization efforts in the future," Johnson says in a news release. "I extend my gratitude to the University of Houston for assembling top-notch resources on the critical topic of clean hydrogen production. By bringing together students, corporate leaders, engineers, and scientists, we are able to join forces to accelerate the renewable hydrogen economy."

Cody Johnson is the CEO of SCS Technologies, a provider of CO2 measurement systems, petroleum LACT units, and methane vapor recovery units. Photo courtesy of SCS

UH’s Hydrogen Economy Program helps energy professionals and students strategically at the world’s energy hub in the Houston area. The program provides a forum for information from faculty and industry leaders. Participants in the University of Houston Hydrogen Economy Program can develop a capstone project by using knowledge from the completed course and then present a business plan for a clean hydrogen start-up venture. The projects were evaluated by a panel of judges after class presentations.

"At the University of Houston, we are committed to advancing the energy transition by bringing diverse skills and knowledge together," Alan Rossiter, executive director of external relations and educational program development for UH Energy, says in a news release. "The Hydrogen Economy Program is one of the many ways we achieve this. With the new cohort beginning in August and registration now open, we look forward to working with a new group of passionate, curious, and intelligent energy professionals and students."

The Hydrogen Economy is a part of UH Energy's Sustainable Energy Development portfolio. The Hydrogen Economy Program is a joint effort by UH and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

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A View From HETI

UH's $44 million RAD Center is the first mass timber building on campus with a dramatically lower carbon footprint compared to other buildings of its kind. Photo via uh.edu.

The University of Houston recently completed assessments on year one of the first mass timber project on campus, and the results show it has had a major impact.

Known as the Retail, Auxiliary, and Dining Center, or RAD Center, the $44 million building showed an 84 percent reduction in predicted energy use intensity, a measure of how much energy a building uses relative to its size, compared to similar buildings. Its Global Warming Potential rating, a ratio determined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, shows a 39 percent reduction compared to the benchmark for other buildings of its type.

In comparison to similar structures, the RAD Center saved the equivalent of taking 472 gasoline-powered cars driven for one year off the road, according to architecture firm Perkins & Will.

The RAD Center was created in alignment with the AIA 2030 Commitment to carbon-neutral buildings, designed by Perkins & Will and constructed by Houston-based general contractor Turner Construction.

Perkins & Will’s work reduced the building's carbon footprint by incorporating lighter mass timber structural systems, which allowed the RAD Center to reuse the foundation, columns and beams of the building it replaced. Reused elements account for 45 percent of the RAD Center’s total mass, according to Perkins & Will.

Mass timber is considered a sustainable alternative to steel and concrete construction. The RAD Center, a 41,000-square-foot development, replaced the once popular Satellite, which was a food, retail and hangout center for students on UH’s campus near the Science & Research Building 2 and the Jack J. Valenti School of Communication.

The RAD Center uses more than a million pounds of timber, which can store over 650 metric tons of CO2. Aesthetically, the building complements the surrounding campus woodlands and offers students a view both inside and out.

“Spaces are designed to create a sense of serenity and calm in an ecologically-minded environment,” Diego Rozo, a senior project manager and associate principal at Perkins & Will, said in a news release. “They were conceptually inspired by the notion of ‘unleashing the senses’ – the design celebrating different sights, sounds, smells and tastes alongside the tactile nature of the timber.”

In addition to its mass timber design, the building was also part of an Energy Use Intensity (EUI) reduction effort. It features high-performance insulation and barriers, natural light to illuminate a building's interior, efficient indoor lighting fixtures, and optimized equipment, including HVAC systems.

The RAD Center officially opened Phase I in Spring 2024. The third and final phase of construction is scheduled for this summer, with a planned opening set for the fall.

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