At the Annual Conference of the Renewable Energy Research Association (FVEE) on 16 and 17 October 2012, scientists and industrial representatives presented innovations along with new strategies for their market introduction. In his opening speech, Federal Environment Minister Peter Altmaier emphasised that greater importance should be given to research and development in regard to the era of energy revolution.  more...

At this year´s "Caravan Salon" trade fair for leisure mobility in Düsseldorf, the Truma equipment company was showcasing its VeGA fuel cell system, which is now available on the market. It enables automatic and optimised recharging of batteries in leisure vehicles (BINE reported during the research phase). The liquid gas available on board makes it possible for motor homes to be independent of external electricity supplies for several days or even weeks.  more...

Generating the hydrogen needed for fuel cells from biogas or natural gas requires a relatively complex reformer system. This splits the fuels into hydrogen and CO2. In a joint project, the German Federal Ministry of Economics funded three research facilities that investigated the possibilities for manufacturing reformers that are more long lasting and robust. After a two-and-a-half year duration, the project has now been successfully concluded.  more...

Fuel cells have unique abilities: in contrast to other co-generation (CHP) plants, they directly convert the chemically bound energy of fuel sources such as hydrogen or natural gas without using a flame. If they are deployed in heating devices, they generate electricity and heat efficiently. Indeed, they are considerably more efficient than combining conventional electricity generation and condensing boilers.  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...

Ten thousand hours of operation: This record was set by the Institute for Energy and Climate Research at the Research Centre Jülich using a hybrid system based on direct methanol fuel cells. In the project, which has been funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, a fuel cell stack has been designed for use in electric forklift trucks.  more...

Small, decentralised power plants are on the increase: as fuel cells, they are enormously energy efficient, provide heat and electrical energy whilst giving off harmless emissions. Scientists from the Research Centre Jülich and the metal group ThyssenKrupp VDM are now making a contribution towards competitive production costs.  more...

Its sounds ideal: a domestic energy plant that generates heat and electricity works almost without emissions and also exclusively utilises the sun and bioalcohol as renewable energy. Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy systems ISE are working on such a plant. The heart of the system comprises a fuel cell combined with a newly developed reformer that generates the hydrogen required for the fuel cell from bioethanol.  more...

The Faculty of Supply Engineering at Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences has installed a renewable energy park at its Wolfenbüttel campus. A redox flow battery weighing 5,000 kg has now been added to this energy park. With this system, which is only the second of its kind in Germany, a further storage technology is now available in this "Smart Grid Test Facility".  more...

You reach your final destination for the day, switch off the engine of your motorhome, and sit back to enjoy the view. Cicadas chirping and the music of nature are the only sounds you can hear. And then, far away from the nearest mains outlet, you get your laptop out to check your emails and plan your route for the next day. Quietly, and with low emissions, the electrical power you need is produced by your own on-board fuel cell generator. You know that with the fuel cell, your vehicle battery will always be fully charged. Now that the funded research and testing work has been done, fuel cell hybrid systems are ready for the market.  more...