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The transformation of the global energy system towards renewable energy is the key priority of our generation and enables independence from fossil energy carriers. Hydrogen and its derivatives such as methanol and ammonia will play a key role in this transformation process. The workshop “Perspectives on Power to Liquids (PtL) and Power to Chemicals” will bring together internationally reknowned stakeholders from politics, academia and industry. They will discuss, advance and highlight synergies between renewable power generation, H2 production and CO2 utilization, targeting at the production and utilization of sustainable energy carriers, fuels and chemicals. One focus will be on the development and applications of technologies and their products with respect to their relevance in different sectors and industries. Other important topics are the scale-up of PtX processes, the ramp-up of production and security of the energy supply. The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE hosts the event in Freiburg, Germany on May 10th and 11th.

At the 18th International Conference on Concentrator Photovoltaic Systems (April 25-27, Miyazaki, Japan), Elisa Kaiser from the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE was awarded the Young Scientist Award. The Conference Chair honored her presentation on the topic “Effects of Manufacturing Tolerances on Micro-CPV Module Performance”.

The matrix shingle concept developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE arranges shingled solar cells offset from each other, like bricks in a masonry wall. As part of a research project funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, the company M10 Industries AG and the research institute Fraunhofer ISE have developed a stringer system for interconnecting such modules, which is now entering series production. Visitors to Intersolar Europe can view the matrix shingle modules manufactured on this system at the booths of Fraunhofer ISE (A1.540) and of M10 Solar Equipment GmbH (A3.260).

Meike Schauerte, together with her co-authors Dr. Oliver Höhn and Dr. Henning Helmers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, received the Best Paper Award of the 4th Optical Wireless and Fiber Power Transmission (OWPT) Conference.

Around 340 participants from 35 countries around the world joined the 12th SiliconPV conference in Konstanz, Germany or online. Like in previous years, the 10 best ranked contributions have been awarded – among them three scientists at Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE. In addition, two researchers of the institute received best poster awards for their work presented at the conference.

In a world of environmental and economic constraints, energy modeling is an increasingly important tool for addressing the complexity of energy planning and policy making. The 40th edition of the International Energy Workshop (IEW), a leading conference for the international energy modeling community, will take place from May 25 to 27, 2022 in Freiburg, Germany. It will be hosted by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE. Early Bird tickets can be purchased until April 15.

Today, the solar industry accounts for about ten percent of the global silver consumption. To reduce the silver demand and the corresponding costs, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE are developing alternative materials and processes for solar cell metallization. Industrial TOPCon solar cells with plated nickel/copper/silver metallized contacts achieved higher efficiency than their counterparts with printed silver contacts, and the silver consumption was reduced by over 90 percent in the process.

The 2021 edition of the World CleanTech Awards (WCA) has unveiled its list of twenty-two recipients of WCA Distinctions and two nominees of its Special Lifetime Achievements Awards. The CleanTech Business Club (CBC) together with its strategic partners has been honoring visionary individuals since 2017, and now, for the first time, is recognizing innovative companies and startups championing the cleantech transformation mission. Fraunhofer ISE is among them with a distinction in the category Visionary CleanTech Businesses of The Year.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE has presented the annual figures for the German electricity generation in 2021. Due to weather conditions, the share of renewables in the net electricity generation (the electricity mix coming from the socket) fell to 45.7 percent, compared to 50.0 percent in 2020. Wind power with a share of 23.1 percent was again the most important source of electricity, yet this value was around 12 percent less than 2020.

Dr. Peter Schossig, Division Director Thermal Systems and Building Technology at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, has been appointed as an expert to the Collaboration Programme on Heat Pumping Technologies of the International Energy Agency (HPT IA). He represents Germany as an alternate delegate to the Executive Committee. Heat pumps are one of the key technologies for achieving a net-zero emissions target by 2050, according to the IEA.