Recent Research Projects

Project in the Business Area Power Electronics, Grids and Smart Systems, Topic: Energy System Analysis, Duration: 01/2021 - 12/2023

Floating photovoltaics (FPV) refers to PV power plants whose modules are mounted on floating bodies on a body of water. The concept enables the expansion of renewable energies on artificial lakes without occupying scarce land areas. Flooded former opencast lignite mines alone offer a technical potential of about 26 GWP of installed capacity, assuming an occupancy of 0.6 MW/ha. In »PV2FLOAT«, an interdisciplinary team is investigating the opportunities and challenges of floating PV in order to create the technical, ecological and socio-economic conditions for tapping this potential. The project is dedicated to the further development of floating PV power plants with a view to cost reduction, integration into spatial planning and sustainable implementation on a megawatt scale. The economic viability and ecological impact as well as the potential and acceptance of the technology are analyzed with a focus on the conditions in Germany. The development and installation of several FPV systems with different system designs and each with an output of approx. 30 kWp on an open-cast mining lake in Lusatia form the basis for holistic concepts in terms of practicality, economic viability, environmental compatibility and social acceptance. | Duration: 05/2021 - 12/2025

Heat pumps are an effective solution for reducing energy consumption and the environmental impact of buildings, and for introducing renewable energy into the heat supply. However, the actual efficiency of heat pumps in practice does not always meet expectations. In addition to high occurring heat losses, the energy efficiency is reduced by an inappropriate system design, by misparameterization of the heat pump control and by undetected operating deficits. Therefore, the subject of the "AI4HP" project is the development of a new generation of "intelligent heat pumps", which adaptively adjust to changing boundary conditions with the help of artificial neural networks and thus increase energy efficiency while maintaining user comfort. | Duration: 09/2021 - 08/2024

According to the grid connection guidelines, power generation units (PGUs) must be able to withstand grid faults without shutting down. The guidelines define the behavior of the PGU during these faults. However, there are currently no requirements for the transient time range immediately after the occurrence and clearing of faults. As a result, PGUs may behave incorrectly or even switch off due to these transients. In the future, it will be increasingly critical to consider the behavior of the grid as it becomes more defined by the behavior of the PGU. This is due to the growing share of power electronic generation in the total generation. This is particularly important for grid-forming converters, which will be necessary to maintain grid stability. | Duration: 10/2023 - 09/2026

Project in the Business Area: Hydrogen Technologies and Electrical Energy Storage, Energy-Efficient Buildings, Topic: Battery System Technology, Thermal Storage for Buildings, Duration: 01/2021 - 06/2024

In the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) trade, consultation, stocktaking, planning and preparation of offers are very time-consuming processes, especially when upgrading existing systems. Each system must be individually configured and adapted to the technical conditions of the building and the habits of the users. This is especially true for complex and sustainable systems, such as heat pumps, fuel cells and solar-assisted hybrid systems. | Duration: 09/2021 - 08/2024

Climate change has become a tangible reality in Germany in recent years. Heatwave summers and low precipitation in winters have led to massive problems in agriculture in many places. Protected cultivation under foils is a current trend, causing additional costs and waste problems. In this project, highly transparent organic solar cells will be developed that allow visible light, which is important for plants, to pass through and use the infrared portion to generate electricity. These could make it possible to simultaneously generate the urgently needed solar power for a successful energy and mobility turnaround from the film covers that are intended to protect plants from heavy rain, hail, sunburn and desiccation. | Duration: 09/2021 - 07/2024

Project in the Business Area: Hydrogen Technologies and Electrical Energy Storage, Topic: Thermochemical Processes, Duration: 01/2021 - 06/2024

The potential for roof-integrated photovoltaics is significant. According to a study by Fraunhofer ISE, building-integrated photovoltaics alone is estimated to have a technical potential of 1,000 GW for Germany. The majority of this segment accounts for roof surfaces. Considering this background, cost-effective, visually attractive and easy-to-install photovoltaic solutions for roof integration will become particularly popular in the future. In the "Baldachin" project, we are working with our partners to develop an innovative solar roof element for next-generation building-integrated photovoltaics that follows the shape and color of classic roof tiles at no visible solar cells. | Duration: 07/2021 - 06/2024

An important form of propulsion in the future will be powered by fuel cells. However, the development focus has shifted significantly from passenger cars to freight and heavy duty traffic. At the same time, this increases the expectation of the service life of fuel cells by a factor of five to ten. This aspect is being investigated by the FC-RAT research project coordinated by Fraunhofer ISE. The understanding of the aging processes is to be significantly expanded and deepened. | Duration: 01/2021 - 06/2024