GTI Energy Collaborates With SunHydrogen and UT Austin on First-of-Its-Kind Solar-to-Hydrogen Pilot at Hydrogen ProtoHub

The ProtoHub offers a hands-on demonstration, training, and data innovation site for emerging energy systems

Coralville, IA and Des Plaines, IL, Sept. 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SunHydrogen, Inc. (OTCQB: HYSR), the developer of a breakthrough technology that produces renewable hydrogen using sunlight and water, today announced that will provide safety review and on-site systems integration support to SunHydrogen’s hydrogen production pilot installation at the Hydrogen ProtoHub.

GTI Energy and The University of Texas at Austin – Center for Electromechanics (UT-CEM) co-manage the ProtoHub, located at UT Austin’s J. J. Pickle Research Campus. It expands upon the success of the , which built and demonstrated the technical feasibility of an integrated hydrogen ecosystem.

The Hydrogen ProtoHub is a first-of-its-kind hands-on demonstration and training site where emerging technologies, ranging from hydrogen to renewable natural gas, are tested, validated, and showcased under live conditions.

More than a single pilot installation, the ProtoHub is designed as a multi-purpose platform:

• Technology Demonstration: A host site where innovators can install, integrate, and operate advanced energy technologies, from electrolyzers and fuel cells to hydrogen blending systems and RNG applications.
• Workforce Training: A unique facility for training operators, engineers, and codes and standards officials, giving professionals direct, hands-on experience with properly designed and installed systems. It helps set industry expectations for safe and effective deployments.
• Data Center and System Modeling: A living laboratory for collecting operational data from component-level demonstrations. These learnings are being used to model larger, commercial-scale systems, such as future data center power control and supply solutions, ensuring the transition from pilot to practice is grounded in evidence.
  
  
  
  

With advanced infrastructure, strict safety systems, and experienced technical staff, the ProtoHub serves as a launchpad for projects that can shape the future hydrogen economy.

SunHydrogen’s pilot system will feature sixteen solar-to-hydrogen production reactors, , configured in a scalable modular array totaling more than 30 m² of active area. The demonstration marks the company’s first multi-panel system deployed in an outdoor environment, operating solely on sunlight and water. Over a six-month period, the project will validate performance, durability, and scalability, while generating data critical for commercialization. A successful demonstration will confirm real-world viability, paving the way for larger deployments and commercial partnerships.

“This collaboration represents a pivotal step in continuing to bring SunHydrogen’s vision to life,” said SunHydrogen CEO Tim Young. “Deploying a pilot demonstration system at the Hydrogen ProtoHub allows us to validate our technology under real-world conditions and generate the data needed for commercialization. With GTI Energy’s decades of leadership, including its Hydrogen Technology Center operations experience and role in major national hydrogen programs, GTI Energy is the right collaborator to help ensure safe and successful execution.”

GTI Energy brings decades of leadership in energy technology development, safety, and oversight. With more than 80 years of innovation, 1,300+ patents, and a state-of-the-art Hydrogen Technology Center, GTI Energy has played a central role in advancing safe, scalable energy solutions. The organization also leads national collaborations such as the Low-Carbon Resources Initiative and participates in multiple regional clean hydrogen hub projects in the U.S. GTI Energy’s involvement adds credibility and underscores the commercial significance of SunHydrogen’s demonstration system.

“We are pleased to collaborate with SunHydrogen and UT Austin in taking the next step in showcasing direct solar-to-hydrogen capabilities," said Ted Barnes, Executive Director, Low Carbon Energy Solutions, GTI Energy. “We look forward to working with the teams on demonstration of this renewable hydrogen production technology.”

For more information on SunHydrogen’s technology and developments, visit:

About SunHydrogen, Inc.

SunHydrogen is developing breakthrough technologies to produce renewable hydrogen in a market that Goldman Sachs estimates to be worth $1 trillion + per year by 2050. Our patented SunHydrogen Panel technology, currently in development, uses sunlight and any source of water to produce low-cost renewable hydrogen. Like solar panels that produce electricity, our SunHydrogen Panels will produce renewable hydrogen. Our vision is to become a major technology supplier in the new hydrogen economy. By developing, acquiring and partnering with other critical technologies, we intend to enable a future of emission-free hydrogen production for all industrial applications such as fertilizer and petroleum refining as well as fuel cell applications for mobility and data centers. To learn more about SunHydrogen, please visit our website at

About GTI Energy

 is a technology development and training organization. Our trusted team works to scale impactful solutions that shape energy transitions by leveraging gases, liquids, infrastructure, and efficiency. We embrace systems thinking, innovation, and collaboration to develop, scale, and deploy the technologies needed for low-emission, low-cost, and resilient energy systems.

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