Press Releases 2024

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.