The decathlon is deemed a blue ribbon event in track and field athletics because of the versatility that is required. Precisely this ability to meet different requirements as comprehensively as possible is required with the Solar Decathlon. In this competition for completely solar powered homes, university teams from all over the world compete with their demonstration buildings. The latest BINE-Projektinfo brochure “In competition for the best energy-plus building” (17/2012) presents the two German entries at this year’s European event in Madrid. Adopting quite different approaches, teams from Constance and Aachen universities achieved fourth and fifth places among 18 participants.  more...

Until now water has usually been used as the heat transfer medium for transporting heat and supplying cooling ceilings with cooling energy. However, competition is now growing in particular application areas. Researchers have developed new heat transfer fluids (PCS – phase change slurries) that have at least double the energy density. The new BINE-Projektinfo brochure “Phase change stores heat” (16/2012) presents the fluids. Phase change materials such as paraffin, which are finely distributed in water, store heat when they melt and release it again when they solidify.  more...

The Freiburg district of Weingarten-West is well on the way to requiring less energy in future: the buildings are undergoing refurbishment and the district heating provision is being adapted. The first high-rise building that has been refurbished to the passive house standard stands out as a flagship project not just in visual terms. The latest BINE-Projektinfo brochure “On route to a low-energy urban district” (15/2012) presents this building in relation to the comprehensive district concept. The measures also include an information campaign for the residents.  more...

Success contracting is a new approach for achieving and guaranteeing permanent quality during the building operation through the use of a modified tendering procedure. This is because building services equipment is complex, and new and fully renovated buildings provide no guarantee that the heating and ventilation systems automatically achieve the target values in practice that were specified during planning. The newly published BINE-Projektinfo brochure "Ensuring sustained user quality in buildings" (14/2012) presents the concept and the initial practical experience.  more...

The energy revolution cannot succeed without a modern and suitably adapted electricity grid, whereby nationwide concepts are required, and not just for the urban conurbations. Electricity networks in scarcely populated rural regions must be able to cope simultaneously with the small local requirements and continual increase in decentralised electricity generation. That is a consequence of the expansion of wind energy and PV systems in rural areas.  more...

Whenever components move in machines this creates friction. This friction wears down the materials and increases the energy consumption. A new carbon-based material with very low friction losses has now been tested, by way of example, in the automotive industry. The aim is to make it suitable for mass production purposes. The new BINE-Projektinfo brochure "Superlubricity in vehicles" (11/2012) presents the physical principles and the material properties of the diamond-like carbon coatings. The practical tests were conducted on axle drives.  more...

Homeowners interested in utilising solar energy usually used to have to decide between generating solar thermal energy using collector systems or producing solar power with photovoltaic modules. However, new hybrid collectors now enable a joint solution. They combine both forms of solar energy in a single housing and thus create a uniform appearance on the roof. The new BINE-Projektinfo brochure “Using solar roofs twice over” (10/2012) presents the systems, two pilot projects and concepts for future technological optimisation. Solar energy systems with hybrid collectors are particularly suited for buildings with high heating requirements throughout the year.  more...

Living in sufficiently lit spaces is an important factor for the wellbeing of people. Good lighting makes it easy to read and fosters a well-balanced day and night rhythm. Based on the example of schools and care homes, it was investigated how optimised lighting concepts and new lamp, luminaire and ballast technology can help to improve the light provided. The new BINE-Projektinfo brochure "Placing rooms in the right light" (09/2012) presents the results of various investigations. A main aim of the researchers was to lower the energy consumed for lighting purposes.  more...

With many historic buildings and in specific urban situations it is not possible to span internal courtyards and similar spaces with glass roofs. Such roofs could help, however, to reduce the heat loss from buildings. Nevertheless new possibilities are provided by lightweight and highly transparent structures made from textile membranes. The newly published BINE-Projektinfo brochure "Lightweight envelopes for old buildings" (08/2012) presents the innovative concepts and components as well as their demands on the building management. The films and membranes can also be printed or equipped with thin-film solar cells, whereby the incident light can be controlled.  more...

The economic and ecological success of heating networks and large-scale solar thermal systems very much depends on a reliable heat output during the summer months. This makes the cooling and air-conditioning of buildings using thermally operated chillers an increasingly interesting market. The new BINE-Projektinfo brochure “Cooling with heat” (07/2012) presents a new generation of particularly compact absorption chillers with small outputs for cooling, air conditioning and heating operations.  more...

Deep geothermal plants in northern and southwestern Germany often work with highly saline thermal waters. The high salt content and pressure, dissolved gases and the temperature level mean that all plant components are at a high risk of corrosion. At the geothermal research plant at Groß Schönebeck, the German Research Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam is systemically investigating this issue. The BINE-Projektinfo brochure “Corrosion in geothermal plants” (06/2012) presents this work, which involves continually monitoring the physical and chemical parameters of the underground water and testing the corrosion resistance of different materials.  more...

Fuel cells enable electricity and heat to be generated in a single process. In contrast to previous domestic heating systems, fuel cell heating units can supply both existing and new buildings with heat while also generating electricity as well. The new BINE-Projektinfo brochure “New approaches to supplying domestic energy” (05/2012) presents the initial findings from a research project in which natural gas-operated fuel cell heating units are being tested with private customers under realistic conditions. The aim is to further improve the systems in both technical and economic terms.  more...

In automation technology, every conveyor belt and robot arm requires drive energy. Without this and comparable systems, in particular the heavy components would remain at a standstill in the production. If the efficiency of electrical and pneumatic drive technology could be increased, the electricity requirements of industry would drop. The latest BINE-Projektinfo brochure, “Getting things moving with little energy” (04/2012), presents a potential study on energy efficient automation. In a joint project, three research institutes and three industrial companies have systematically researched and assessed the possibilities.  more...

Enormous mountains of dirty linen are produced in hotels, hospitals and care homes. These are cleaned and ironed in laundries using considerable amounts of energy. For this purpose, textile service providers use flatwork ironers. A newly developed chest ironer manages that with a considerably reduced amount of energy. The ironer and the initial results are presented in the recently published BINE Projektinfo brochure “Ironing bed sheets in economy mode” (03/2012).  more...

Foundries in the metal industry produce considerable amount of lean gases. These have a low heating value and until now have only been used for generating heat. Cupola furnaces, which use large amounts of coking coal for melting metal, produce a combustible process gas called cupola furnace gas. In a research project, a dual fuel engine was modified in order to enable this gas to be used for the combined production of electricity and heat. The new BINE Projektinfo brochure “Generating electricity and heat from lean gas” (02/2012) provides an overview of the findings so far.  more...

With 12 billion kilowatt-hours per year, the German railway company Deutsche Bahn is one of the largest electricity consumers in Germany. What possibilities does rail transport therefore have for using more green electricity in future? A study from the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy and Energy System Technology (IWES) has investigated the technical and economic options for this. The BINE Projektinfo brochure “Rail travel with water and wind” (01/2012) presents the main findings.  more...

Whilst the utilisation of offshore wind energy promises higher electricity yields per turbine than on land, it also places higher technical demands on all components. The wind turbines therefore have to be specially adapted and designed for use at sea. In order to have precise planning data available and to close gaps in knowledge, research platforms have been constructed that are equipped with scientific measurement instruments. These are FINO 1 (2003, North Sea), FINO 2 (2007, Baltic Sea) and FINO 3 (2009, North Sea). The BINE Projektinfo brochure “Conducting research in the middle of the ocean” (17/2011) gives an overview of the scientific focal points for the individual platforms and a selection of results.  more...

An estimated 1.4 billion people worldwide (mostly living in rural regions) and approximately 300,000 buildings in Europe are not connected to a central electricity grid. Stand-alone grids can be used here to establish a cost-effective and reliable electricity supply. In these stand-alone grids, different renewable power generators such as photovoltaics, wind energy and biogas are combined with a battery system and diesel generator (if required due to the geographical position). The BINE Projektinfo brochure “New operating system for stand-alone grids” (16/2011) introduces newly developed technical standards which optimise the construction, operation, control and administration of stand-alone grids.  more...

Rotor blades on wind turbines are highly stressed, complex components that must be capable of withstanding enormous loads for many years. This especially applies to new offshore wind farms, where the blades are also confronted with salt water and gale-force winds. Additionally, technicians are only able to work on-site when the weather is calm. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy and Energy System Technology (IWES) in Bremerhaven can now simulate the harsh reality of offshore conditions in four to six months on an onshore test rig for rotor blades, and are thus able to provide statements on the complete service life of more than 20 years. The work of the Competence Center Rotor Blades is detailed in the BINE Projektinfo brochure “The time machine for rotor blades” (15/2011).  more...

In spring and autumn in particular, there are many short periods of fluctuating temperatures caused by alternating warm and cold days. Inside a building, the effect of such temperature fluctuations is felt with a significant time lag. Quite often, enough heat is stored in building components and fixtures for a while; there is still plenty of waste heat or solar energy influx. Researchers have developed a new concept for a heating control system with integrated weather data, which is currently being tested in three administrative buildings. The BINE Projektinfo brochure “When weather forecasts control the heating” (14/2011) introduces the system, the demonstration buildings and initial results.  more...

Much waste heat is generated in industrial production and power generation. It is estimated that a quarter of energy production in Germany is lost this way. Waste heat is currently often emitted into the atmosphere unused because there are no suitable technical procedures that allow it to be used efficiently. In order to utilise these untapped energy resources and turn them into electricity, a technology company from Saarland, Germany, has combined a steam expansion engine with ORC technology. The BINE Projektinfo brochure "Transforming waste heat into electricity" (13/2011) introduces the system and some initial results from a field test.  more...

Short circuits are expensive for power plants and electricity grids. Already during the construction of the plants, each component has to be designed to withstand the maximum possible loading in the case of a short circuit. If an incident does actually occur, downtimes and damaged system components can cause additional costs. The BINE-Projektinfo brochure “Superconductive fault current limiters in power plants” (12/2011) presents a new kind of system for controlling short circuits that can substantially increase the safety, availability and reliability of electrical systems in power plants and when expanding electricity grids.  more...

In Germany, industrial process heat comprises around 10% of the energy requirements. Part of it can be generated with solar thermal systems. Using twelve collectors that track the sun’s position, a metal processing company in Ennepetal, Germany, has for the first time generated saturated steam and integrated it into an existing steam network. The pilot system is presented in the new BINE-Projektinfo brochure “The sunny side of saturated steam” (11/2011). In this research project, the process’s operational basis for utilising solar process heat was tested and optimised, whereby a particular focus was on the future use of such systems in more southern parts of the globe.  more...

Freely travelling through the countryside with the mobile home, as and when it suits them, is a very popular leisure activity for modern, recreational nomads. People stop where the landscape and weather pleases them, but would nevertheless like to have mobile accommodation with comforts similar to home. However, fridges, TVs, lighting and air conditioning systems require electricity, which remote from all grids is expensive and difficult to obtain. The BINE-Projektinfo brochure “On-board power supply with fuel cells” (10/2011) presents a newly developed on-board fuel cell system that provides mobile homes, boats and holiday chalets with the desired comfort.  more...

At many places in Germany, deep geothermal heat provides a climate and environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels for supplying electricity and heat. However, in order to find sufficient temperatures and water at great depths using expensive boreholes, planners require detailed information in advance. This is where the GeotIS geothermal information system comes into play. The BINE-Projektinfo brochure “On the trail of deep geothermal energy” (09/2011) presents the system, which provides easy access to online data on geothermal potentials and sites in Germany.  more...

New technological developments make that possible. A kilowatt-hour of solar electricity can be generated increasingly cheaper and the industry is close to achieving grid parity. The cost of generating solar power would then be roughly equivalent to what end users currently have to pay for their household electricity. The BINE-Themeninfo brochure “Photovoltaics - Innovations” (II/2011) presents the latest research and development work on new solar cells concepts and production technologies.  more...

In the chemical industry, carbide is an important base material for fertilisers and in the production of raw iron. Until now, the synthesis of carbide has principally been based on the use of coal and coke, which have become increasingly more expensive as a result of the high worldwide demand for energy. However, the carbon required for producing carbide can also be obtained from plastic waste. The BINE Projektinfo brochure “Producing carbide using plastic waste” (08/2011) presents a new process that enables the material- and energy-based use of residues from the processing industry and is now entering regular operation.  more...

The phasing out of nuclear power and the growing contribution of renewable energies will accelerate the structural transformation of electricity supplies in Germany. In future, the electricity generation will be more decentralised, information on the production and demand will be continually exchanged, and there will be more flexible load- and supply-dependent tariff. Two recently published BINE-Projektinfo brochures present research projects within this context.  more...

Gas- and, in particular, coal-fired power plants will have to become more efficient and produce fewer emissions in order to compete in the future energy mix. They will be needed to ensure the stability of the electricity grid for several years by balancing out the electricity generated from renewable energies, which fluctuates according to the time of day and season. The recently published BINE-Projektinfo brochure “Comparison of electricity production from fossil fuels” (05/2011) presents simulation models for making realistic and standardised comparisons of modern, fossil-fuelled power plant processes. The research work was conducted at the Hamburg-Harburg University of Technology.  more...

Last summer Madrid hosted the Solar Decathlon for the first time, which was inspired by the American competition of the same name. In this international competition, student teams are tasked with developing and constructing experimental and pioneering homes that use solar energy as their only energy source. The recently published BINE-Projektinfo brochure “Buildings of the future successful in decathlon” (04/2011) provides an overview of the competition requirements, the four German entries and their results.  more...

Food packaging has to meet high demands: it has to appeal to customers, pose no risks to health and be cheap to manufacture. A central role is played here by the printing process and the inks used. In a joint energy research project, four companies from different areas of the printing industry have developed a new process that has now reached market maturity. The recently published BINE-Projektinfo brochure “The packaging Olympics: Better, quicker and more economic” (03/2011) details the printing process, the optimised production procedures, the energy savings achieved and the environmental benefits.  more...

In part of the “Am Ackermannbogen” housing estate near the Munich Olympic Park, a solar thermal system supplies almost half the heat required for space and domestic hot water heating. Together with a large-scale heat storage tank and heat pump, around 2,800 square metres of collector surface area supply four large apartment buildings and eight town houses. All buildings meet the requirements of the latest German Energy Saving Ordinance. Since it began operation in 2007, the solar project has been scientifically monitored. The new BINE-Projektinfo brochure “Summer sun against the winter cold” (02/2011) presents the local solar heating concept realised there as well as the operating experiences and measurement values from two heating periods.  more...

Since 2007, a research project organised by the German Federal Ministry of the Environment has been providing both conceptual and specialist support to regions that want to transform their energy generation to using 100% renewable energies. This usually starts with a policy decision and the development of general principles. In addition to efficiency measures, a decisive element for the transformation is decentralised energy generation that combines wind and solar energy, biomass, hydroelectric power and geothermal power. The recently published BINE-Projektinfo brochure “On route to renewable energy regions” (01/2011) presents the general principles, approaches and selected examples.  more...

What works for thermos flasks can also be used for thermally insulating buildings: insulation by means of a vacuum. Vacuum insulation panels and vacuum glazing improve the thermal insulation not through having more material but by reducing the thermal conductivity. This means that even a very thin structure achieves excellent performances. The new BINE-Themeninfo brochure “Insulation through vacuums” (I/2011) explains the basic principles behind the new thermal insulation technology, its potential applications and also its special features.  more...