High, far, deep and rough - this is how the RAVE research initiative itself describes the typical challenges faced by offshore wind energy. During the next few years, a dozen large-scale wind farms are being installed far off the coast of Germany in the North and Baltic seas. These are already earmarked to make up more than one third of the installed wind energy output by 2020. The sea-based wind farms will therefore make a considerable contribution to generating 35% of electricity from renewable energies by 2020, as envisaged by Germany´s energy policy.  more...

New developments make it possible: solar power can be produced increasingly cheaply. The solar power industry is close to achieving grid parity, which means that it will no longer cost more to generate solar power than the current consumer price. Researchers are presenting solar cells with ever-higher efficiencies and new records are constantly being set, only to be broken again. The series of successes is one of the clearest indications for the rapid progress being made in photovoltaics.  more...

What works for thermos flasks can also be used for thermally insulating buildings: insulation by means of a vacuum. For this purpose, panels made of compressed silica powder, which is an extremely porous material, are enclosed in a largely gas- and water vapour-tight envelope made of special high-barrier films or stainless steel and evacuated. The thermal insulation provided by these vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) is five to ten times that achieved by conventional insulation systems. This means that vacuum insulation requires a correspondingly lower thickness of insulation material to achieve the same insulating effect, which is highly beneficial when there are space constraints or high thermal insulation requirements.  more...

There are now many highly efficient new buildings around – at least on paper, anyway.  Only when a building actually goes into operation does its owner really know whether it makes the most of its potential efficiency or not. However, not enough attention is paid to the long phase of operation. A clean break generally takes place when the keys to the building are handed over: The architects and energy planners have specified target values, but actually achieving these values is either left to others or else disappears completely off the radar.  more...

Can heat - or cold - be stored directly in walls and ceilings? Can heat be stored at precisely the temperature level at which it is to be used later on? And can the heat storage effect be used in a controlled manner as regards time and intensity? The answer is a clear "yes" - using materials that store heat "latently", using a process that occurs at a defined temperature level and delivers high "concentrations".  more...

To date, the topic of solar collector systems has primarily involved small-scale standard systems for single-family and double-family houses. Here, we would like to focus on the numerous large buildings which could also be provided with solar heat. While many blocks of flats, housing estates, hotels, halls of residence, hospitals and commercial buildings have large unused roof surfaces, the facades and balcony balustrades, or the roofs of adjacent buildings such as garages, are also surfaces which could be used for the heat supply.  more...

Can buildings be cooled with environmental energy? Yes - with the aid of thermo-active building systems. Conventional chillers become unnecessary if buildings are planned and built in an architecturally and physically energy-optimised manner. And if using thermoactive building systems, the building's own storage capacity can be utilised for temperature compensation, and activated via natural heat sinks such as the ground, ground water, or the cool night air. Since the 1990s, more and more buildings are being cooled with these systems - and heated as well.  more...