The age of unregulated, glandless circulation pumps is coming to an end. Several technically outdated series with electronic controls will also no longer be available next year. They do not meet the strict efficiency requirements of the new EU ordinance subject to the European Ecodesign Directive (ErP), which comes into force in 2013.  more...

47 per cent of the net electricity consumed in Germany is used by industry. Particularly in automation technology, robot arms would not move without drive energy and heavy components would remain at a standstill in the production. A potential study recommends new solutions for energy optimised system operations. The intention is to increase the energy productivity of the electrical and pneumatic drive technology by up to 50 per cent.  more...

The Internet offers rapid and convenient access to information - including for energy research. However, when it comes to obtaining reliable, complete and quotable information for research purposes, there is no real alternative to using specialist databases. This is the conclusion of scientists from the ETDE (Energy Technology Data Exchange). In a study they compared the search results provided by their ETDEWEB database with those from Google and Google Scholar, whereby they used search terms from different areas concerned with energy transformation and utilisation. The main thematic focus was on renewable energies, but energy efficient technologies such as recycling waste heat or utilising daylight in office buildings were also looked at.  more...

The German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology has published a strategy paper entitled "Eckpunkte und Leitlinien zur Weiterentwicklung der Energieforschungspolitik der Bundesregierung (Cornerstones and guidelines for the continued development of the German federal government's energy research policy)". The detailed analyses and suggestions were developed as a result of the cooperation between a number of institutes in the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres as part of a broadly based consultation process.  more...