Press Releases

Wall chargers for charging electric vehicles can be found on more and more homes. But how can the solar power from your own roof be used as smartly as possible? In the “Wallbox Inspektion” project, a consortium consisting of Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, HTW Berlin and ADAC e.V. developed the first test procedure for solar-optimized controlled charging and used it to test wall chargers available on the market. Together with an industry advisory board, a test guideline for unidirectional and solar charging was developed and the test results are quantified in a score that is easy to understand for end users. The intention is to increase transparency for consumers in the wall chargers market and establish a quality standard for the industry. The project was funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection.

Reports of UV-induced degradation in TOPCon-based photovoltaic modules are currently a concern for the PV industry. The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE is therefore investigating common test methods for their validity. The latest results of their comparative indoor and outdoor tests show that the currently used UV tests rate the degradation of TOPCon silicon PV modules significantly higher than the actual performance reduction. To achieve more meaningful test results in the laboratory, the PV modules must be stabilized after UV exposure and before performance measurement. This week, the institute presented comprehensive analyses of the recovery dynamics of TOPCon modules at the SiliconPV conference.

A research team from the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE has evaluated over 70,000 power measurements on photovoltaic modules that have been carried out in the institute's calibration laboratory, CalLab PV Modules, since 2012. In the process, the researchers found that since around 2017, the negative discrepancy between the performance data of the PV module manufacturers and the research institute's measurement results has been increasing. Until 2016, more power was measured in the laboratory on average than was promised by the manufacturer. Since then, a negative trend has emerged, particularly in the years 2020 to 2023, leading to an average power reduction of about 1.3 percent. The latest data from 2024 show a slight turnaround.

Baden-Württemberg will not be able to meet its future demand for hydrogen and its derivatives from domestic production alone. The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE has therefore investigated how Baden-Württemberg can be supplied by imports in the future. The researchers analyzed how and at what cost hydrogen and its derivatives methanol and am-monia can be imported via pipelines and waterways. Production in Germany was also considered for comparison purposes. European pipeline transportation is therefore the most cost-effective option. The study was funded by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry for the Environment, Climate Protection and the Energy Sector.

Proton exchange membranes (PEM) are one of the most promising technologies for the production of green hydrogen by electrolysis. To reduce the material and manufacturing costs for PEM electrolyzers, the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE is researching scalable production processes. Now, for the first time, it has succeeded in producing ultra-fine porous transport layers made of titanium using a screen printing process, thereby reducing the cost of catalyst materials. Industry-standard, scalable equipment was used. At the Hannover Messe (March 31 to April 4, Hall 13, C41), the institute will present samples of the optimized microporous transport layer, along with other innovations.

In the future, charging stations along freeways, in parking lots or at logistics centers will have to deliver much more power in a short space of time than they do today. For this reason, new charging stations can no longer simply be connected to the low voltage power grid. In the project "MS-Tankstelle", Fraunhofer ISE and partners from industry therefore developed the medium voltage system technology for fast charging stations that will enable peak loads of several megawatts in the future. The technology, which uses efficient silicon carbide semiconductors and higher voltages, leads to lower material use and lower costs for fast charging stations. At the same time, the system is very efficient and can be flexibly applied to charging stations of different sizes and different vehicle types. A demonstrator of one charging point can be viewed at the Fraunhofer Energy Alliance booth at the E-World from 11-13 February in Essen, Germany (hall 5, D 126).

In Germany, net public electricity generation from renewable energy sources reached a record share of 62.7 percent in 2024. Solar power generation reached a new record of 72.2 terawatt hours in 2024, and the expansion of photovoltaics continued to exceed the federal government's targets. As the share of electricity generation from lignite (-8.4%) and hard coal (-27.6%) continued to fall sharply, the carbon dioxide emissions in the German electricity mix were lower than ever before. The balance of imported electricity rose to 24.9 terawatt hours. These figures are the results of an analysis presented by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE. The analysis is based on the data available on the platform energy-charts.info.

Fraunhofer ISE and Fraunhofer UMSICHT have developed a prefabricated façade element with integrated photovoltaics for buildings that combines power generation, weather protection and thermal insulation. By eliminating the need for an additional substructure for the solar modules, this element can save large amounts of building materials, while speeding up installation during retrofits at the same time. Visitors to the BAU, the world's leading trade show held in Munich from January 13 to 17, 2025, can view two variants of the BIPV façade elements at the Fraunhofer Building Innovation Alliance's stand. The façade element was developed as part of the Fraunhofer flagship project "BAU-DNS".

Artificial Intelligence (AI) helps heat pumps to operate more efficiently, by avoiding incorrect device settings and optimizing system operation. The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE is researching a new generation of smart heat pumps that use artificial neural networks to adapt to environmental conditions and to learn as conditions change. This increases both the energy efficiency and user comfort. Extensive simulations showed promising potential energy savings from 5 to 13 percent in addition to increased comfort. These results have been confirmed by measurements in an initial field test in a real building.

Perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells made of stable materials and manufactured using scalable production processes are the prerequisite for the next technological leap in the photovoltaic industry. Over the past five years, six Fraunhofer Institutes combined their expertise in the Fraunhofer lighthouse project "MaNiTU" to identify the most sustainable paths for the market launch of such tandem solar cells. They were able to show for one that high cell efficiencies can be achieved using industry-oriented processes, however, that such high efficiencies were only currently achievable with lead perovskite materials. Based on these findings, the researchers developed suitable recycling concepts to ensure sustainability.