With a new technology, the efficient use of waste heat flows at temperatures between 200 and 500 degrees Celsius for electricity generation could in future be far more common than has previously been the case. With the support of the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, DEVETEC GmbH is developing a system which can be extended in a modular fashion.  more...

Until now, geothermal energy utilisation has been considered difficult in regions with geological substrata consisting of sedimentary rock. However, attractive heat sources which can suffice for energy utilisation are also situated in many places with such rock formations.  more...

The Solar Decathlon, an international competition for tertiary institutions, offers students a unique opportunity to implement architectural designs which would normally remain theoretical during their studies. Teams from various universities can realise their designs for energy-plus buildings, which in the annual balance produce more solar power than is necessary for operation, and see how they stand up to the demands of reality while competing against other ambitious projects.  more...

Approximately 50% of the global population lives in cities. In 2020, this figure will be more than 60%. The success of climate protections is, therefore, dependent on energy consumption and pollutant emissions in our cities and conurbations. Local councils can specify important framework conditions for implementing energy efficiency measures.  more...

Hospitals have a high energy consumption. Scientists now plan to investigate all the various areas in a hospital and develop an innovative approach for achieving energy savings. This will be done as part of the "Hospital plus" research project which is being supported by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology with funding of 1.85 million euros over four years.  more...

Solar energy is already used for air conditioning buildings, and now researchers want to use it to refrigerate fruit and other easily perishable food. Scientists from the Fraunhofer-Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE in Freiburg are demonstrating its feasibility in the Mediterranean region using the example of a winery in Tunisia and a dairy in Morocco.  more...

According to the plans of the German Federal Government, Germany is to become a key market for electromobility. This is one of the reasons why the responsible ministries are increasing their activities in energy research. For example, the NET-ELAN joint project coordinated by Forschungszentrum Jülich is researching how a stock of electric vehicles can be practically integrated into existing and future energy supply structures. The initial results of the project subsidised by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology have now been made available.  more...

What role do superconductors currently play in energy technology? Where are they used, what is the research status and what can be achieved in the future? Representatives from industry, science and politics discussed these questions on 16 and 17 March in Bonn at the ZIEHL II Conference on future and innovation in energy technology with high-temperature superconductors.  more...

By combining solar thermal energy and adsorption technology, heat can be turned into cold to cool buildings. The German Federal Ministry for the Environment is currently funding a large-scale practical test for solar air conditioning systems. The partners involved, Solvis, SorTech, Fraunhofer ISE and Offenburg University, are seeking interested participants for this project.  more...

In Germany, the electricity supplied by renewable energy systems already outstrips the current demand at times. This has led to negative electricity prices on the European Energy Exchange in Leipzig. Efficient technologies for storing large electricity volumes will therefore provide key components in a future grid.  more...

The German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology has added the "electricity storage facilities" research focus to the research areas that it supports. One of the first projects to be funded is the development and construction of an "adiabatic compressed air energy storage facility". Construction of the first large-scale demonstration plant is to start in 2013.  more...

In recent years, the heat pump has become increasingly popular on the heating market. For new buildings and building refurbishment, users can expect lower energy costs and environmentally friendly, low-maintenance operation. There is much heated debate as to the degree of efficiency at which heat pumps work.  more...

Following a three-year planning and construction phase, the building complex for the local authorities and federal state parliament was erected and officially opened in the historic city centre of Eberswalde in 2007. From the very outset, energy-efficiency and sustainability were important criteria.  more...

Most of the growing electricity generated from renewable energy sources is produced in wind farms. As part of the now completed EU project, "Wind on the grid", researchers and companies on the Iberian Peninsula tested how wind farms can be integrated into the European electricity grid on a large scale. As a German contribution, the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy and Energy System Technology (IWES) provided two control programs it had developed.  more...

A solar energy system with around 130 square metres of collector surface area has been providing heat for a youth hostel for twelve years already, and a large solar energy system in Heilbronn has been supporting the local heating network in a housing estate for the last eight years. Both of these systems were installed as part of the Solarthermie-2000 research programme and provided the planning basis for the construction of large solar energy systems. These two projects have been subject to ongoing monitoring and measurement. ZfS-Energietechnik GmbH has now presented the results of this long-term experience in two short reports.  more...