This result leads to two conclusions with critical implications for materials design. First, it is not necessarily the case that nanoscaling leads to a reduction in usable storage capacity. Rather, a nanoporous host can serve as a multifunctional material that can simultaneously improve the thermodynamics, desorption kinetics, and heat transfer properties of the hydride, leading to an overall increase in usable capacity compared with the pristine hydride. Second, comprehending the operational constraints of a specific application and the tradeoffs resulting from interdependent materials properties enables implementation of a co-design process at both the materials and system scales that converges on a successful storage material.