Users in the design of Hydrogen Energy Systems: A systematic review

The energy transition is a major societal issue to which hydrogen energy can make an important contribution. If the technical aspects of hydrogen energy seem paramount, it is also important to focus on the end users of these future systems. Indeed, users play an important role in the success of energy systems: they may not accept it, they may not use it as intended. But not only, users can also be a source of innovation. Thus, it is possible to mobilize different approaches, which if they are all legitimate, do not have the same efficiency. In this systematic review of the literature, which combines lexical analysis and data analysis of 152 publications, we identify the approaches implemented to take into account users in Hydrogen Energy Systems. Our results indicate that final users are mostly perceived as a barrier to the deployment of Hydrogen Energy Systems, or as a parameter to be assessed rather than as a resource for the design. Researches have mainly the aim of improving technology adoption. Since Hydrogen Energy Systems are emerging, we recommend focusing studies on upstream user research aimed at stimulating and enhancing technologies and systems design. We also recommend increasing the share of study which focus on the case of hydrogen energy stationary applications and buildings.