Press Releases

An international research team of photovoltaics scientists has taken a crucial step toward the industrialization of perovskite silicon tandem solar cells. They demonstrated that passivation of the perovskite top cell is possible in combination with textured silicon bottom cells featuring large pyramid size, which are the current industry standard for solar cells. Additionally, they discovered that the passivation affects the entire perovskite layer – unlike silicon, where surface treatment only influences the upper layers – leading to further efficiency improvements. The PV researchers from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), University of Freiburg and Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE presented their technological and scientific innovations for the passivation of perovskite top cells in the journal Science. The full paper can be accessed for free at https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adx1745.

In addition to expanding renewable energy generation, a successful energy transition requires stable system operation at all times. To achieve this, renewable energies and storage power plants will have to take on extensive system services and essential grid-forming properties in the future. In the “GFM Benchmark” project, Fraunhofer ISE developed a test procedure for grid-forming inverters on behalf of the four German transmission system operators and applied it to devices from various manufacturers. On the one hand, the project provided a comprehensive overview of the market readiness of grid-forming inverters. On the other hand, the project results provide an important practical check for new national and European testing standards.

The groundbreaking ceremony on July 22, 2025 marked the start of construction for the Engineering Center for Sustainability (Ingenieurzentrum Nachhaltigkeit – IZN) on Freiburg’s airport campus. The new building will foster closer collaboration between Freiburg’s five Fraunhofer institutes and the University of Freiburg under the umbrella of the Department of Sustainable Systems Engineering (INATECH).

In the first half of 2025, Germany and many other European countries generated more solar power than ever before. This was offset by lower electricity generation from wind energy. As a result, the share of renewable electricity in Germany's net public electricity generation was 60.9 percent, down from 65.1 percent in the first half of 2024. Within the European Union, public electricity generation from solar and wind fell from 358.1 terawatt hours (TWh) in the first half of 2024 to 344.4 TWh in the first half of 2025. This is according to the half-yearly data on public net electricity generation presented today by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE. The evaluation is based on the data platform energy-charts.info.

Around the world, there is a lack of comprehensive medical care for people living in remote areas. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE and the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST have devised a solution for this in the PreCare project: a flexible, modular health platform with solar power supply that can be installed on the bed of a pickup truck. It is already in use in South Africa and Namibia. The team was presented with the Innovations for a Better Future award from the Fraunhofer-Zukunftsstiftung (Fraunhofer Future Foundation) for this development.

The Port of Rotterdam and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE are working with Australian partners to investigate opportunities for Western Australia to become a world-class producer, user and exporter of renewable hydrogen. Western Australia could provide for a substantial portion of the European demand for hydrogen in 2050. The TrHyHub Study, a collaboration between key stakeholders in Australia, Germany, and the Netherlands, analyzed the critical components that could deliver a supply chain from the Mid West Hydrogen Hub in Oakajee to Germany via the Port of Rotterdam. In the short term, ammonia is the most suitable option, with substantial cost savings to be anticipated in the future.

As part of the "SPHINX" research project, the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE has set up a pilot line for PV roof tiles at Module-TEC in Freiburg. The flexible, automated production allows the project partner Freesuns, a Swiss solar roof manufacturer, to produce its newly developed matrix shingle roof tiles on a pilot scale before moving into mass production. The production line will manufacture a total of 4,000 solar roof tiles using the matrix shingle technology. Since March 2025 the first 800 modules have been produced. Freesuns is currently installing the first roof systems into 5 existing buildings in Switzerland. The new solar roof tiles are on exhibit from May 7 - 9 at Smarter E Europe / Intersolar at the Fraunhofer ISE booth in Hall A1.

Research scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE have developed a measurement method that allows the performance of back-contacted solar cells to be determined without contact in the production line. Measuring the current-voltage characteristic curve is the most important test in solar cell quality control. Eliminating physical contact with the solar cell saves time and thus allows significantly higher throughput rates in production. It also eliminates mechanical stress on the solar cells during measurement and reduces the maintenance costs of the measuring system. The researchers tested the method for the first time in 2022 and have now successfully transferred it to IBC (interdigitated back contact) cell architectures in a production-related environment.

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.