Major platform update: From one signal to four
Until now a station could tell H2-Stations one thing in real time: whether it was available or not. With this update it can report four, each attached to the piece of equipment it belongs to.
Post series
This blog post is the second of a series of 3. The first post covered the station layout.
Built on the station layout
The first post described how operators can now record their station as it is physically built: dispensers, nozzles, storage units and products. That layout is more than a static description. It gives every live signal a precise place to attach to.
Four kinds of real-time information
With the new release, stations can now report four kinds of real-time data: whether they are available, which nozzles are currently in use, how much hydrogen remains in each storage unit, and the current price per product. Each figure is attached to the piece of equipment it belongs to, not averaged into one station-wide status. Occupancy is reported per nozzle, stock per storage unit, price per product.
Once a station sends these signals, drivers can see on the map before setting off whether it has the right nozzle for their vehicle, whether it is occupied, what the hydrogen will cost, and whether stock is running low. For fleets, this turns route planning into an informed decision.
Completing the AFIR data set
The new release was not only developed to make life easier for fleet operators and drivers. There is also a regulatory reason behind it that concerns operators: The EU's Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) requires station operators to publish dynamic data in exactly those four categories. With this release, operators who report through H2-Stations get a solid foundation for the dynamic side of their AFIR obligations without building their own reporting infrastructure. The static data set was already aligned with AFIR in an earlier release; the dynamic side now catches up, so a station maintained on H2-Stations covers the complete AFIR data set.
What it takes to send the data
Real-time data is harder to provide than static data. A layout is entered once from the portal. Live signals require a permanent connection between the station's systems and our platform, sent by whoever holds that connection: the operator, the station's technology supplier or an integrator. Signal API v2 is the interface for this. It accepts all four signal types and addresses equipment through the layout the operator has entered, so the layout has to exist before the new signals can flow.
Existing availability integrations on v1 and v1.1 keep working. The migration guide explains what changes between v1 and v2, and the integration reference documents the endpoints and payloads.
What you will see today
The release is recent. Setting up the connection takes work on the sending side, and many operators and suppliers will need time to build the capability to send occupancy, stock and price alongside availability. Expect coverage to grow gradually rather than all at once, station by station, as layouts are entered and integrations are upgraded.
What comes next
Everything the platform now holds, layouts and live signals alike, is available to data users through Export API v2. That is the third part of this release and the subject of the next post.
Stay informed
The full details are in the release notes. Questions and onboarding: h2-stations@clean-hydrogen.europa.eu.