A mere 150 days now remain until the grand final in Madrid of the Solar Decathlon Europe, which will take place this year for the second time. The competition will see universities from around the world competing for the most energy-efficient house, with 20 teams from 15 countries exhibiting their innovative concepts in the "Villa Solar" from 14 to 30 September. This year, two teams from Germany (Aachen and Constance) will take part in the competition and are now busy preparing for the final in Madrid.  more...

The region between the Swabian and Franconian mountains and the Northern Alps has large thermal resources underground (geothermal energy). The availability of this hot water at depths of between 1,500 and 5,000 m has led increasingly more local communities in the region to rely on geothermal energy as a mainstay for their local energy supply. The extent to which these geothermal plants can be operated stably in the long term has been investigated by the Leibniz Institute for Applied Geophysics (LIAG) in Hanover, which has now published its findings. These results suggest that long-term use is viable.  more...

The German government selected four regions to receive funding as part of the "Schaufenster Elektromobilität" (electromobility showcase) programme. The plan is for one million electric vehicles to be on the roads in Germany by 2020. Over the coming three years, the showcase and pilot projects will benefit from funding to the tune of 160 million euros from the economics, environment, research and transport ministries.  more...

In November 2011, the "Bambados" Swimming Pool - a leisure pool built to the passive house standard - opened in Bamberg, Upper Franconia. The monitoring is starting at the beginning of April. The measurements will show whether the concept proves itself in practice and whether the planned energy savings can also be achieved in reality. In the BINE interview, Esther Gollwitzer from the Passive House Institute (PHI) discusses the concept behind the new leisure pool and draws an initial balance.  more...

On 19 March, around 120 delegates attended the international conference on "Energy Research in Europe: Germany´s Contribution to the SET-Plan", which was concerned with improving cooperation in the research, development and demonstration fields within the energy sector. The need for research and action was discussed in the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi) using the example of smart grids and the hydrogen industry.  more...

What contribution can be made by geothermal energy to future electricity and heating supplies in Germany and which steps are necessary in order to utilise its potential? On 14 and 15 March, around 80 scientist discussed strategies, technologies and practical experience in the Brandenburg town of Joachimsthal, which is close to the geothermal research borehole at Gross Schönebeck.  more...

Technologies for storing energy will play a decisive role in future. They are essential not just for balancing out the supply of fluctuating renewable resources such as solar power and wind energy but also for continuing to ensure a reliable energy provision. At the same time, storage systems in electric and hydrogen-fuelled vehicles are paving the way for a mobile future beyond the fossil fuel era. Future storage systems formed the focus of attention at the first "Energy Storage Symposium", which was held by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) at the beginning of March.  more...

In collaboration with Singulus Technologies AG, the Institut für Solarenergieforschung Hameln (ISFH) has managed to raise the efficiency of screen-print silicon solar cells from the 17 to 18.5 per cent currently common in the PV industry to a record 20.1 per cent. This figure was confirmed in an independent test carried out by the Fraunhofer ISE. 20.1 per cent is among the highest efficiencies measured on solar cells with screen-print metallisation. The German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) financed the project to the tune of around 700,000 euros.  more...

Representatives from science, research and industry converged on the town of Münster to attend the 2012 Battery Day and the subsequent Advanced Battery Power symposium. This year, the conference focused on the potential offered by electrochemical energy storage. The German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi) confirmed at the conference that energy storage played a crucial role in grid stability.  more...

The Research Centre Jülich has a new photovoltaic technical lab. Across 560 square metres, the laboratory offers state-of-the-art possibilities for testing and further developing thin-film solar modules from silicon. The new, 2.1 million euro building is equipped with chemical and physical measurement rooms.  more...