The University of Houston will launch a new micro-credential program titled “The Hydrogen Economy” starting Feb. 20 and running through May 8.

The program is designed for industry professionals, rising seniors, and graduate students. It aims to present the "opportunities and challenges offered by the growing hydrogen sector," according to a statement from UH.

“The energy field is evolving rapidly, and energy professionals need to do the same," Ramanan Krishnamoorti, vice president of energy and innovation at UH, said in a statement. "What we’re seeing is that the people the companies are going to value are those who can contribute to this transformation.”

The program consists of three badges that are earned via 15-hour modules held over three-week periods. Courses and lectures are held via Zoom weekly with recorded sessions to be viewed independently twice a week.

Participants can complete the entire program (earning all three badges) for $2,000, or earn individual badges for $750 each.

According to UH, the program aims to give participants a solid understanding of:

• Key characteristics and drivers for hydrogen as the decarbonization fuel of choice
• Fundamentals for the existing hydrogen market, and how it is poised to change
• Policy and strategy: Critical factors in building The Hydrogen Economy
• Hydrogen as a means for transporting and storing renewable energy
• Current and emerging options for producing hydrogen, including offshore options
• Basics of hydrogen safety
• Technical options for storing and transporting hydrogen, including decision factors
• Fuel cells and their roles in transportation, in the electric grid, and in domestic and commercial power supply
• Hydrogen fueled vehicles – from forklifts, trains and ships to aircraft
• Hydrogen as a fuel to decarbonize industry
• Trade-offs for use of hydrogen vs. electrification vs. advanced renewable hydrocarbon fuels as vectors for decarbonization

The new offering from UH is one of several micro-credential programs UH Energy has launched since 2020. Other programs include:

• Upstream Energy Data Analytics Program
• CCUS Executive Education Program
• Data Analytics for the Process Industries Program
• Sustainable Energy Development Program
• Environmental, Social and Governance in Energy
• Rubbers in Extreme Environments

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