Panasonic recently launched Germany’s first Proof-of-Concept of a Fuel Cell-powered Customer Experience Centre

Panasonic opened on 27 March 2025 Germany’s first Proof-of- Concept for its so-called Panasonic HX, a sustainable energy solution powered by green, locally sourced green hydrogen at its Munich campus in Ottobrunn. For this pilot project, 5 hydrogen fuel cells of 10kW power each and a photovoltaic system have been seamlessly integrated providing the Customer Experience Center (CXC) in Ottobrunn, near Munich, with 100% green electricity.

The CXC is not only a modern showroom where Panasonic demonstrates the depth of its advanced technology solutions and those of its partners.  What is shown here goes far beyond the company’s well-known consumer electronics products, showcasing business & industrial key components, products and solutions for vertical markets such as the energy sector, mobility, retail and other industries.

At the same time the building is also home to laboratories where technologies are tested and refined. Co-working spaces allow for close collaboration with partner companies, customers and industry stakeholders.

First hydrogen-fuel cell-based Panasonic HX solution in Germany

The Ottobrunn location is the World’s First for type of application case in a Customer Experience Centre, lab & office mix building, and the third location worldwide of Panasonic (after Kusatsu, Japan, and Cardiff, Wales) to run such an HX solution. All three locations have different characteristics and requirements and therefore also the HX solution varies according to these individual needs.

The Panasonic HX solutions are part of Panasonic’s business strategy towards the decarbonization of its own business and value chain. Additionally, the company also aims to support other companies & society to reduce and avoid CO₂ emissions through its current and future technologies.

What is Panasonic HX Munich about?

The five hydrogen fuel cell systems (10kW each) and parts of the photovoltaic system (170 panels (out of 570 in total with ca. 60 kWp power) are managed by Panasonic’s proprietary Energy Management System (EMS). To supply the fuel cells with locally sourced green hydrogen, a 40-foot standard container with hydrogen storage cylinders has been placed closed to the fuel cells and can be exchanged by a new container when the hydrogen has been used up.

The cylinders in the container have a volume of 30m³ of green hydrogen which is locally sourced from South Bavaria and Austria. The whole campus site is around 20,000 m² while the CXC is around 6,000 m². The entire installation with the hydrogen storage and fuel cells as the main components is connected directly to the CXC and requires merely 203 m² of space (excluding the roof space for the PV panels).

The use of solar energy and electricity from green hydrogen is a significant step towards long-term sustainable energy solutions. This project, as well as the Panasonic HX business strategy, serves to demonstrate a modern hydrogen transformation and thus a decentralized, stable, and resilient renewable energy supply infrastructure. With this initiative, Panasonic is taking an important step to further advance the decarbonization of the industry.

Construction completed within one year

The construction of this lighthouse project began in August 2024 and was completed in just seven months. High-performing local project partners who specialize in green hydrogen energy and architecture played a key role in this rapid completion. In addition, the project managers were able to bring a trusted supplier of locally produced green hydrogen on board.

Five PH3 hydrogen fuel cell systems, each with an output of 10kW, generate green electricity in Ottobrunn. These machines are the 3^rd generation of the so-called “H2 KIBOU” system, Panasonic’s fuel cell which runs on “pure hydrogen” (no fossil fuels). In addition to a higher output compared to the previous PH1 + 2 versions, the latest generation of fuel cells can operate up to 250 modules simultaneously and the power output can be adjusted, paving the way for flexible and scalable power generation. Panasonic’s aim is to offer a scalable energy solution for up to 1 Megawatt (MW) of electricity output.

The energy management system in Ottobrunn flexibly controls the fuel cells by only switching on the necessary number of fuel cells to cover the electricity demand in combination with the PV system. To further optimize the running time of each fuel cell system, the EMS distributes the operating times evenly across the five fuel cells. This expands the lifetime of the fuel cell system even further and also allows for planned maintenance cycles since single system can be taken offline easily for the time of inspection.

The 190kWp photovoltaic system integrated into the overall system on the roof of the neighboring office building on the campus was installed in 2021. According to preliminary calculations, the Panasonic HX system can cover 100% of the CXC’s total electricity requirements, with the remaining electricity being drawn from the grid.

 Panasonic HX site as part of a long-term sustainability strategy

The Panasonic HX project in Ottobrunn is part of the long-term Panasonic GREEN IMPACTsustainability strategy with its ambitious goals to effectively combat climate change and contribute to a more sustainable future. The company is working intensively to reduce CO₂ emissions from its own factories and office locations to zero by 2030, thereby reducing and avoiding a total of 110 million tons of CO₂.

Powerful investment in Panasonic HX

Panasonic has been and continuously will invest a total of around 130 million Euros in developing the technology for Panasonic HX.

Before commissioning the Panasonic HX system in Ottobrunn, Panasonic had already implemented two similar projects in Kusatsu, Japan, and Cardiff, Wales. Both combine hydrogen fuel cells, battery storage, and photovoltaic systems.

At these two sites, the three renewable energy sources are used to generate electricity for production buildings because the energy demand for these two factories follows a different pattern than the one in Ottobrunn for the Customer Experience Centre where the energy demand is very stable throughout a 7-days week.

Overall, the long-term goal of the investments is to show how location in different regions of the world with different climate but also with different energy requirements, can generate 100% of their electricity demand from onsite, renewable energy sources.

Roll-out timelines

Such innovative energy solution is planned to be rolled out globally to external customers in two steps between 2026 and 2030.

Important step towards a sustainable energy transition

“Based on Panasonic’s management philosophy, we have been promoting Panasonic HX, which uses hydrogen to provide clean, resilient, distributed energy close to where people live, in order to improve the lives of people around the world while keeping the planet healthy. At Panasonic HX Munich, we have achieved a level of 100 per cent renewable energy by refurbishing an existing office building using cutting-edge hydrogen fuel cells and green hydrogen. This installation enabled CXC, as a model of office building become renewable energy 100 per cent, taking up less space and reducing energy costs compared to conventional methods. On-site electricity production paves the way for a decentralized and stable energy supply and is a foundation for the decarbonized future of industry and society,” concludes Masao Kato, Director of Global Environmental Business Development Center, Panasonic Corporation.

Project in line with regional hydrogen strategies

The project is also in line with the hydrogen strategies of the state of Bavaria and its capital Munich: The Bavarian Hydrogen Strategy 2.0 is driving the development of an effective hydrogen value chain. The aim is to focus on hydrogen from its production, transport, and storage through to its use in various areas of application and to firmly anchor it as a flexible option within a holistic energy system.

In addition to promoting climate and environmental protection, the hydrogen strategy for Munich also aims to develop new value chains. The development of a hydrogen economy is always implemented in an ecologically, economically, and socially sustainable manner and the benefits and use of hydrogen are carefully examined in terms of their efficiency. To specifically support both hydrogen strategies, Panasonic chose Ottobrunn as the location and its Customer Experience Center for such sustainable energy generation.

The Customer Experience Center (CXC), opened in 2020, is part of an up-and-coming high-tech location that brings together academia, R&D, start-ups and industrial companies.  Organizations such as the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Jochen Schweizer, OTTOBAHN, Porsche eBike Performance GmbH have joined the campus. The CXC provides customers with the opportunity to experience Panasonic’s innovative spirit through demonstrations and prototypes and to work together on technological innovations in combination with Panasonic products.