Decentralised Multi Energy Systems
For everyone who thinks in decades.
Long-duration storage that fits inside the building. Electricity, heat and flexibility from a single system.
The origin
DMES is not a term we invented. It is Switzerland's recommendation.
Decentralised multi-energy systems were defined in the National Research Programme “Energy”, which comprised more than 100 projects and CHF 45 million in research funding. The programme was funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation on behalf of the Federal Council. It resulted in 15 recommendations to policymakers and the energy industry.
-
DMES combine electricity, gas and heat with storage and controllable loads to form one system, locally or regionally.
-
One of these recommendations is “Implement decentralised multi-energy systems (DMES)!” and is addressed to policymakers and energy utilities. It is the only one of the 15 that references a technology explicitly. The recommendation in the original ↗
-
eRevo is the first company in Europe to implement this system logic in building-integrated form.
Recommendation to policymakers and utilities
«Realise decentralised multi energy systems (DMES)!»
Recommended in 2020, made legally possible in 2026, built since 2024 by eRevo.
National energy research recommended it in 2020. Legislators delivered the framework in 2026. We have the system to match, operating at full load since April 2024.
DMES are not our invention. More than 100 projects and CHF 45 million in research funding led to 15 recommendations for policymakers and the energy industry. Only one of them calls for a system class to be implemented by name, and it uses exactly the term that eRevo is now pioneering in building-integrated form across Europe.
The rationale is clear. DMES makes decentralised energy far more efficient and help avoid costly grid expansion. Municipalities and their utilities are asked to identify where DMES can be used and to drive implementation through energy master plans and active support. The federal government and the cantons provide the legal framework that makes this possible.
From recommendation to law
- 2020 The summary does not gloss over the obstacles. Local energy utilities’ supply monopolies make DMES harder to implement, and in some cases grid fees create economic barriers to sector coupling that are difficult to overcome.
- 2026 This is precisely where legislation has caught up. Since 1 January 2026, the Local Electricity Communities (LEG) established by the Mantelerlass omnibus energy act have been in force. Locally produced electricity can be shared within the municipality at reduced grid-usage tariffs.
- Today What was recommended in 2020 and became legally possible in 2026 has been built and tested in real-world operation. The system is grid-connected and grid-supportive, rather than intended as a self-sufficiency solution, because that is supports the business case.
What this means for you
- For municipalities and their utilities These are the actors named in the summary. They are asked to identify DMES potential, create support through energy master plans and land-use planning, and actively back implementation. The mandate already exists; according to the paper it is simply not used enough.
- For utilities DMES can help avoid costly grid expansion by providing flexibility on site instead of requiring additional network infrastructure. With the LEG, this potential is also reflected in tariffs from 2026.
- For investors and lenders Not a niche technology. aA nationally recommended system category, already proven in real-world operation.
- For neighbourhoods and sites ETH case studies carried out under the programme show that a multi-energy hub with seasonal storage can achieve the goals of Energy Strategy 2050 in scenarios where sufficient space is available. For your site, the potential analysis provides the answer.
- Where our answer goes further The paper names hydrogen as a seasonal storage medium but leaves the economics open. Thermal extraction help address this gap. Heat in both seasons can turn the storage system into a revenue-generating asset.
The summary is a scientific recommendation, not a regulation. What has become binding is the legal framework that now makes DMES economically viable.
What was recommended can be built today. Assess your project →
The energy transition has a timing problem.
In summer, solar and wind power can produce more intermittent electricity than can be used. The surplus may be curtailed or sold at low or negative prices. In winter, precisely this energy is missing. From 2027, feeding electricity from large PV installations into the grid is expected to become less attractive, while the solar obligation is putting PV on more large roofs. Battery systems smooth out hourly fluctuations, but infrastructure for seasonal shifting is still lacking. In urban areas, large-scale battery storage can face challenges outdoors because of noise and objections, and indoors because of fire-load and permitting requirements.
A DMES closes the gap.
Surplus electricity is converted into hydrogen on site, bound in the metal hydride as a solid at just 35 bar, and returned as electricity and heat when required. The integrated short-duration storage serves fast electricity markets, while thermal extraction supplies heat in both seasons. Because the energy is stored in the molecule, the DMES can also function as a compact thermal store. Conventional water stores require substantially more volume for the same amount of heat. This system was realised by eRevo AG Energy Revolution, the pioneer of decentralised multi-energy systems in Europe
Summer // surplus
-
Photovoltaics
Own production on the roof
-
Electrolysis
Electricity becomes hydrogen and heat
-
H₂ in metal hydride
Solid state at 35 bar, inside the building
Winter // demand
-
Fuel cell
Hydrogen becomes electricity and heat
-
Electricity
Site, vZEV and LEG, grid
-
Heat
Heating, hot water, heat network
over 75% overall efficiency with combined electricity and heat use · over 30 years’ service life · 0.5 to 16 MWh per room · modularly scalable to over 100 MWh
The heart of the system
Metal hydride, simply explained.
Just as a sponge absorbs water, the metal hydride absorbs hydrogen and binds it chemically within its metal lattice. The hydrogen can remain stored until the energy is needed.
A metal hydride forms when a special metal alloy reacts with hydrogen. Hydrogen atoms enter the spaces in the metal lattice and are chemically bound there. The gas becomes a solid. Around 97%of hydrogen is held safely in solid form within the metal, with only a small residual amount remaining gaseous. This means the metal hydride does not require high pressure or cooling lending to its suitability for installation in occupied buildings.
1
Charging
Hydrogen gas is fed to the metal alloy at a pressure of up to 35 bar. The alloy reacts with hydrogen and forms a metal hydride. The material absorbs the hydrogen into its metal lattice.
2
Storing
The energy can be stored for long periods with minimal losses it is needed. Around 97%is chemically bound in solid form, while the remaining roughly 3% is gaseous.
3
Discharging
The metal hydride is warmed to around 38 degrees, releasing the hydrogen for the fuel cell in a controlled manner and enabling the production of electricity and heat.
The system in figures.
Since April 2024
At full load. The world's first building-integrated DMES plant based on metal hydride is operating in Eich LU.
35 bar
Low pressure. Chemically bound in the metal lattice. No self-discharge, no compression.
More than 30 years
Service life. Designed from the outset as long-term infrastructure. The manufacturer guarantees storage performance for 20 years.
0.5 to 16 MWh
Per room. Modularly scalable to over 100 MWh as an energy centre.
20,000 cycles
Cycle stability of the metal hydride, with over 98% performance thereafter.
> 75 %
Overall efficiency with coupled use of electricity and heat.
Built safely. Structured for financeability.
Standardised safety.
SVGW Guideline H10001 is the safety framework for building-integrated H₂ systems. Co-developed by eRevo, it is the reference for SIA-compliant planning And the basis for permits and fire protection. To the technical bulletin ↗
Physics instead of fire load.
The hydrogen is chemically bound in the metal lattice. Around 97% is held as a solid in the metal hydride, with only a small remainder in gaseous form. The system uses solid state storage at up to 35 bar and does not require hydrogen compression for storage. One kilogram of hydrogen occupies around 20 litres in the metal hydride tank, compared with 310 litres in a 40-bar gas store. Compared with a 300-bar pressure vessel, which requires compression and may involve a more complex permitting process, the metal hydride system can be around three times more compact, depending on comparison basis.
Warranties and service agreements.
The manufacturer provides a performance guarantee of up to 20 years on the metal hydride storage technology. Long-term service agreements and performance commitments cover the project term. Main components are interchangeable across manufacturers, reducing dependencies on a single supplier.
When the grid fails, your building can keep running.
On request, a DMES can be designed to be black-start capable, wherever that is technically possible and economically sensible. Designed that way, the system keeps supplying the building it stands in during a grid outage, with electricity and with heat. Because the long-duration storage holds the energy, autonomy then lasts for days rather than hours. The world premiere in Eich is designed that way, at the request of the building owner. And where there is no grid at all, a DMES can also supply a building permanently as an island. That is the rare case, but technically possible.
Operating data, not claims.
The plant in Eich LU has been operating at full load since April 2024 and provides operating data, design values and a referenced safety concept. Site visits are possible by arrangement.
Circularity and origin.
The long-duration storage system requires neither rare earths nor lithium. All materials are available in Europe, and 80% of the production chain is located in Switzerland. If performance declines after decades, the storage medium can be regenerated with a noble gas. On decommissioning, the pure metal returns fully to the material cycle.
We take out complexity and bring in economic viability.
System architect, not manufacturer.
eRevo designs, integrates and orchestrates systems using industrially established, series-produced components from leading manufacturers.
Energy Intelligence as a dedicated layer.
The EMS, AI-supported optimisation and self-learning operations management control electricity, heat and hydrogen across hours, days and seasons. Every plant learns, and each new one starts with the benefit of that experience. To Energy Intelligence →
A coordinated partner ecosystem.
eRevo brings together a coordinated partner ecosystem across the entire system, with GRZ Technologies for metal hydride storage, Enapter for electrolysis, EH Group for fuel cells, pi-System for EMS, Qynn Energy for flexibility and tariffs, Hälg Group for HVAC, enerpeak for energy engineering, SyEnergy / Maréchaux for electrical work, GETEC for contracting, RISAM for fire protection, saprom for compliance, and Integral / tend and Halter Gruppe for general contracting.
Energy potential at your site.
The 360° ecosystem is more than electricity storage. These are precisely the levers examined in the potential analysis examines for your site.
Let’s discuss it.
We analyse the potential of your site, from simulation and profitability calculation through to implementation. Whether an industrial site, an energy utility, a district heating network, a neighbourhood in a vZEV / LEG, a housing cooperative or a property portfolio, the potential analysis is the first step.
Let’s talk about your project.