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Energy News: D-A-CH

Image: TU Vienna

Thermoelectrics: From heat to electricity

  • German / English
Researchers at TU Wien have developed a new concept to convert thermal energy into electrical energy more efficiently. Energy losses can thus be minimized. A lot of heat is lost during the conversion of energy. According to estimates, even more than 70%. However, in thermoelectric materials, such as those studied at …
© CURRENTA

CO2-neutral energy supply for industrial sites using the example of a chemical park

  • German / English
The SPIN research project CO2NEICHEM is developing concepts for the necessary energy and raw material turnaround using the CHEMPARK as an example. The aim is to develop a continuous and reliable, competitive, cross-sectoral and efficient supply of electricity, heating and cooling based on renewable energies, taking into account the required infrastructure. …
© Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences/Samira Schulz

Students award prizes for theses on sustainable development for the first time

  • German / English
Students from the student “Initiative: Sustainable Development” (sti:ne) at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences (h_da) have for the first time awarded “Prizes for Theses on Sustainable Development” (pra:ne). “With the new pra:ne prize, we want to create an incentive for even more students to deal with the topic of sustainable development …
Image: KindelMedia on Pexel

Switzerland is among the laggards in solar power expansion

  • German
  • In terms of per capita electricity production from solar and wind energy, Switzerland ranks only 23rd out of 28 within Europe - placing it just ahead of Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Slovakia and Latvia. Compared with the nine surrounding countries, Switzerland even ranks second to last.
Image: Plainpicture

Donate used lithium-ion batteries to Africa? Clear rules urgently needed

  • German
  • Reusing used lithium-ion batteries can certainly bring many environmental benefits. But given the huge demand for electricity storage in Germany and the EU, it's hard to understand why the focus is on shipping old batteries to low- and middle-income countries.
Image: Lukas Hilger/TH Cologne

Virtual Institute “VISE” examined digital energy industry

  • German
  • In order for the energy transition to succeed, energy systems must be digitized - this is what TH Köln and WWU have been working on in the "Virtual Institute Smart Energy" (VISE) project and investigating the technical as well as economic aspects of a digitized energy world. Among other things, a mobile measurement system for small and medium-sized enterprises was developed under the direction of the TH Köln.
© EKZ

Settlement in Switzerland stores solar power seasonally and decentrally in hydrogen

  • German
  • Green hydrogen is not only suitable for large-scale applications. In a settlement in Switzerland, solar power is stored decentrally for the winter in the form of hydrogen. The heart of the energy system in the Seebrighof multi-generation housing estate in Hausen am Albis is solar panels on the roofs of the building ensemble.
© Brett Sayles

Photovoltaic batteries to stabilize power grid

  • German / English
Transmission system operator TransnetBW is testing power grid stabilization using “Powerwall” photovoltaic home storage systems from U.S. energy and mobility company Tesla. During periods of high load or low feed-in, the power grid is relieved by postponing the charging of the batteries, with the solar plants feeding power into the public …
© A. Latour, CEA for SPARTACUS.

SPARTACUS makes batteries strong

  • German / English
Batteries for e-cars and mobile devices are easy to use, but frequent charging and discharging and the associated aging processes impair the performance of battery cells and shorten their service life. In the SPARTACUS research project, Fraunhofer ISC researchers are using a range of different sensors to monitor the internal status …

Fraunhofer IT platform synchronizes electricity supply and demand

  • German / English
In 2045, electricity in Germany is to come entirely from renewable sources. A key challenge is that wind and solar provide electricity in a fluctuating manner. In the Copernicus project SynErgie, the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA is working with partners to develop an energy synchronization platform that …
© Pixabay

Lifts as energy storage

  • German
  • Weights transported by elevator could compensate for energy fluctuations in large cities. If electricity is then needed, they are lowered again and the braking energy of the elevators is used to generate electricity. Globally, high-rise buildings could store 30 to 300 gigawatt hours of electricity as a result, researchers have determined.
Image: Austrian Energy Agency

This is how much energy the industry could save through digitization

  • German
  • A recently completed study by the Austrian Energy Agency and the Association of the Electrical and Electronics Industry shows the savings potential offered by digital technologies in industry up to 2040. According to the forecast, energy consumption could be reduced by 15 percent.
© akitada31 on Pixabay

Innovative bio-battery: bacteria produce hydrogen

  • German
  • A research team in Frankfurt has succeeded in developing a new bio-reactor that already runs stably for certain periods of time, first converting hydrogen and later releasing it again in a controlled manner. Can this be the solution for renewable energy storage?
© Michaela on Unsplash

Batteries or e-fuels: Which is better?

  • German
  • Batteries and e-vehicles are getting cheaper and climate-friendly fuels from green electricity will be available in a few years. Which technology is best suited for cars, ships and airplanes? Studies show: Due to the many conversion losses, e-fuels are very inefficient compared to battery technology and thus also significantly more expensive.