Grid stabilisation An office building as large-scale batteryA former office building on the campus of the Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule in Aachen acts as a huge battery. more
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Wind turbines Soft edges for rotor bladesA newly developed elastic component for the rotor blades used on wind turbines can reduce the material erosion caused by rain. more
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Thermoelectrics Thermoelectricity is getting affordableThermoelectric modules can generate power from high-temperature processes in the metals, cement and glass industries. more
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Metallic materials Metal foams for heat engineeringPorous structures enhance the efficiency of heat exchangers and cooling elements. more
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Building & City Non-residential buildings | Residential buildings | Refurbishment | Technology & Components | Operation & Optimisation | City & Region

Projektinfo 10/2016

Fuel cell generates electricity and heat for homes

Highly efficient, low-emission and quiet: as small-scale combined-heat-and-power stations, new fuel cell heating units produce heat energy and electrical energy with an efficiency of over 90 per cent. They have proven themselves in extensive tests in single and two-family homes, and their operation and design have been improved incrementally. The first units are now on the market. They run on natural gas, and on hydrogen and methane produced using renewable energy or biomass. Decentralised fuel cells can generate demand-oriented electricity, and they can be used in a grid-friendly or grid-independent way. more...

Solar building

Projektinfo 09/2016

Assessing solar houses in energy and economic terms

With the German Energy Savings Ordinance 2016, the maximum value allowed for the annual primary energy requirement for new residential buildings has been reduced by a quarter. This is not a problem in solar houses: they require a maximum of 15 kWh/(m²p.a.) of primary energy for heating energy and auxiliary power and are therefore well below the requirements of passive houses. The cost of this good CO₂ balance can be determined using a newly developed simulation method. more...

All articles on Building & City (168)

Renewable energy sources Wind energy | Photovoltaics | Solar heat | Geothermal energy | Biomass | Others

Camera for deep geothermal energy

News 24.08.2016

Video inspection tool brings light into the darkness

Scientists in Karlsruhe are developing a camera inspection system for deep geothermal drilling holes. The device must be able to withstand strong pressure and high temperatures. This presents a particular challenge for the electronic components. A first draft design for the system has now been completed. more...

180810 1 Erosionsschaden Kulli LE Foto Seilpartner Windkraft Gmb H

Wind turbines

News 17.08.2016

Rotor blades with elastic front edges

During the course of their operation, countless raindrops land on the leading edge of the rotor blades used on wind turbines. Despite the special coatings and films applied to these edges, this damages the surface. Over time, this causes erosion to the leading edge of the blades. A research project is therefore testing a new approach: in future, elastic leading blade edges could solve the problem. more...

All articles on Renewable energy sources (215)

Industrial and commercial Process heat | Waste & Heat recovery | Drives & Pumps | Refrigeration & Cooling | Other technologies

160811 1 thermoelektrischemodulefertigung72dpi2000px

Thermoelectrics

News 11.08.2016

Pilot production of thermoelectric modules

Thermoelectric generators convert waste heat directly into electricity. They utilise temperature differences and are paving the way for more energy-efficient production processes. However, the technology has previously led a niche existence because the module production is labour-intensive and therefore expensive. Researchers from Freiburg now want to improve this. more...

Ceramic high-temperature heat exchangers

News 03.08.2016

Ceramic cube reduces gas losses

Scientists have developed a new ceramic heat exchanger for industrial furnaces. This can transmit considerably more exhaust heat to the combustion media than the metal recuperators currently used in high-temperature furnaces in the process industry. The new ceramic recuperator thereby decreases the exhaust gas losses to less than 25 per cent. more...

All articles on Industrial and commercial (88)

Energy generation Power plants | Cogeneration plants & units | Fuel cells | Other energy converters

Metal hydrides

News 26.07.2016

Hydrogen – storing energy in metals

Metal hydrides store hydrogen and heat. Their use in thermochemical storage systems is hampered, however, by the material's poor heat conductivity. To increase the charging and discharging performance, researchers are pelletising the material together with graphite, which has a high thermal conductivity. With different metal hydrides they can cover the temperature range from room temperature up to 400 degrees Celsius. more...

Storing sensible heat

News 18.07.2016

First liquid salt storage facility with one tank

High-temperature heat storage tanks ensure that power plants work more flexibly and industrial process heat can be temporarily stored. Researchers at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) have therefore developed a heat storage tank for temperatures up to 560 degrees Celsius, which stores the heat in molten salt. Construction work on the testing facility began at the start of July 2016. more...

All articles on Energy generation (95)

Energy systems Heating & Cooling networks | Heating & Cooling storage | Electricity grids | Electricity storage | Cogeneration | Electric mobility

Grid stabilisation

News 14.09.2016

Research on large-scale battery storage system

The modular, large-scale M5BAT battery storage system recently began operating in Aachen, Germany. With a 5 MW output and a storage capacity of 5 megawatt-hours, it is the largest battery storage system currently being researched. Together with industrial partners, scientists at RWTH Aachen are testing the interaction of five different battery types and are developing business models for decentralised storage systems in actual grid operation. more...

Regional virtual power plant

News 31.08.2016

Networked micro-CHP plant in field test

Small engine-based cogeneration plants and fuel cells can be combined together and operated as a network. Such a regional virtual power plant (RVPP) is currently being tested by researchers at the TU Dresden and EWE AG in the Oldenburg area. They are developing control and regulation concepts for operating in networked systems until the end of 2017. more...

All articles on Energy systems (125)

notepad

Events

26.09.2016
Frankfurt am Main
Wirtschaftliche Optimierung von Bestandsanlagen: Mo dul- und Wechselrichtertausch, Speichernachrüstung und Anlagenerweiterung

27.09.2016 - 28.09.2016
Dortmund
Energieaudit und alternative Systeme zur Verbesserung der Energieeffizienz

27.09.2016 - 30.09.2016
Hamburg
WindEnergy Hamburg

All events

Building & CityNon-residential buildings | Residential buildings | Refurbishment | Technology & Components | Operation & Optimisation | City & Region

Renewable energy sourcesWind energy | Photovoltaics | Solar heat | Geothermal energy | Biomass | Others

Industrial and commercialProcess heat | Waste & Heat recovery | Drives & Pumps | Refrigeration & Cooling | Other technologies

Energy generationPower plants | Cogeneration plants & units | Fuel cells | Other energy converters