Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE

Called The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, even in the short term " Fraunhofer ISE " is a facility of the Fraunhofer Society for the Promotion of Applied Research ( FhG) and has its headquarters in Freiburg im Breisgau. Its activities are applied research and development in the fields of engineering and science associate in the field of solar technology and photovoltaics. Fraunhofer ISE Laboratory and Service Center Gelsenkirchen as well as the Technology Center for Semiconductor Materials (THM ) in Freiberg are outdoor locations of the institute, dedicated to the solar cell or semiconductor material development.

Fraunhofer ISE has been chaired since 2006 by Eicke R. Weber, who is also Chair of Applied Physics, Solar Energy at the Albert- Ludwigs- University of Freiburg in personal union. With over 1200 employees, Fraunhofer ISE is the largest solar energy research institute in Europe. The budget is 73.4 million euros.

History

Fraunhofer ISE was founded in 1981 and was the first non-university solar research institute in Europe. The early focus was on: the fluorescence collector FLUKO, the transparent insulation as well as the first steps towards highly efficient silicon and III- V solar cells, thin film cells and solar silicon.

Back in 1983, succeeded in developing the first all-electronic ISE inverter with until then the achieved efficiency for use in autonomous photovoltaic systems. In 1986 the first series product with a fluorescence collector for energy supply is produced. As part of the PV appliances program developed in collaboration with SMEs as numerous other successful products. With the commissioning of cleanroom laboratories began in 1989 the manufacture of high efficiency solar cells. Developed by the ISE selective solar absorber coatings for solar thermal collectors go in 1998 industrial production.

In January 2014, the Institute obtained the advertised by the Emirate of Abu Dhabi Zayed Future Energy Prize 2014 in the category NGO. The award is valued at 1.5 million U.S. dollars.

Research and Development

With the research of Fraunhofer ISE are the technical requirements for an efficient and environmentally friendly energy supply, both in industrialized countries and in emerging and developing countries together. To this end, the Institute develops materials, components, systems and procedures and engaged, on the basis of research, with the development of production technology and prototypes, to the construction of demonstration systems and the operation of test centers.

The business of the Institute reflect the work described here focuses Overview resist:

• Energy Efficient Buildings At Fraunhofer ISE, buildings and their equipment a key issue. In collaboration with architects, engineers and industrial buildings are being optimized today and building for tomorrow developed. Here, the energy efficiency and user comfort are with respect to efficiency, optimized concepts realized. The international context for this are helped to shape by participating in the International Energy Agency (IEA ) projects. Many disciplines work together for these tasks - from materials research and development to layer component and system development including required tests.
• Applied Optics and Functional Surfaces Solar energy systems convert solar energy that hits in the form of electromagnetic radiation on the earth, into thermal, electrical or chemical energy. In order to better transmit the solar radiation depending on the requirements, reflect, absorb, filter, direct or concentrate, the Fraunhofer ISE develops optical components and systems. The " Applied Optics and Functional Surfaces " served as a cross -cutting issue multiple segments of solar technology: windows and facades, solar thermal collectors, concentrator systems for the photovoltaic and solar power plants and photovoltaic module technology.
• Solar Thermal The business area comprises the market of low -to high- temperature applications: solar thermal collectors and collector systems with flat plate and vacuum tube collectors have versatile applications of hot water and solar heating system and cooling and air conditioning to seawater resistant desalination plant. Also facade-integrated collectors and window panels are used. Linear concentrating collectors operating temperatures of 150 ° C to about 400 ° C can be reached. Both parabolic trough and Fresnel collectors are used not only for the solar thermal power from large power plants, but also often easier and less expensive options for the generation of process heat, process steam and driving heat of absorption chillers.
• Silicon Photovoltaics The photovoltaic wins, especially by the targeted market introduction programs in Japan and Germany, more and more importance. About 90 percent of solar cells fabricated consist of crystalline silicon. Price-performance ratio, long-term stability and reliable cost reduction potentials indicate that this power in terrestrial photovoltaics will remain significantly longer than the next ten years a dominant position. The research and development of the Fraunhofer ISE covers the entire value chain of the crystalline silicon photovoltaics, from material development and crystallization on the development of solar cells to module technology.
• Photovoltaic Modules and Systems Module technology transforms solar cells in a stable product for safe operation in PV power plants. Fraunhofer ISE supports product development towards optimal efficiencies, reduced costs and maximum reliability. The Institute is also offering services for quality assurance of modules and power plants.
• Alternative Photovoltaic Technologies In addition to silicon photovoltaic solar cells, the Institute's research extends to other photovoltaic technologies: the use of III- V semiconductors such as gallium indium phosphide -based, aluminum gallium arsenide or gallium arsenide the highest efficiencies for solar cells can be achieved today. The technology of dye solar cells has evolved in recent years, significantly higher than the laboratory scale and organic solar cells are particularly attractive due to the expected low manufacturing cost.
• Renewable Power Generation People in rural areas, tons of technical equipment in telecommunications, environmental test equipment and portable electronic devices have one thing in common: they all need a mains-independent power supply. For this purpose, renewable energy and other innovative energy converters are developed at Fraunhofer ISE. Construction of grid -connected systems is the world's largest market for the photovoltaics sector. The Institute advises on planning the system, characterizes solar modules and performs the technical evaluation and performance testing of photovoltaic systems by.
• Hydrogen technology Hydrogen on reaction with oxygen in a fuel cell usable energy in the form of electricity and heat free. Since hydrogen in nature but not in its pure form, it must be derived from its diverse chemical compounds. In the field of hydrogen technology, innovative technologies for the recovery and highly efficient conversion of hydrogen into electricity and heat are explored. Together with partners from industry and science components to complete fuel cell systems, developed mainly for off-grid, portable and mobile applications.

Service areas

At present, the Fraunhofer ISE has four accredited testing facilities:

• TestLab Solar Thermal Systems
• TestLab Solar Façades
• TestLab PV Modules
• CalLab PV Cells / CalLab PV Modules

Other Service Facilities:

• Quality assurance of PV power plants
• Photovoltaic power electronics
• Inverter laboratory
• Battery testing laboratory
• Lichtlabor
• Ventilation systems and heat pumps
• PCM laboratory
• Laboratory for adsorption and porous materials
• Test Center for Fuel Cells

Cooperations

Fraunhofer ISE is a founding member and office of the ' Fraunhofer Energy Alliance ". In this alliance bundle 16 Fraunhofer institutes pool their expertise in energy technologies and research in order to offer industry and energy research and development work from a single source.

The Institute is also involved in a network of national and international collaborations, it is, inter alia, Member of the Solar Energy Association ( FVS ) and the European Renewable Energy Centres Agency ( EUREC ).

In the university sector there is a close cooperation with the Materials Research Center at the Albert- Ludwigs- University of Freiburg covering the basic research needs of the Fraunhofer ISE and (also Chair) is favored by the dual functions of the institute's director.

Spin-offs

Spin-offs from research institutions are part of a deliberate strategy by federal and state governments for recovery of marketable research results, which were supported from public funds (keyword: not conduct results in the drawer, but the business location Germany ). On such spin-offs employees of the facilities and possibly the Institute participate in the rule itself

So far it has called such spin-offs, also called " spin-off" at Fraunhofer ISE six given.

Examples:

• In 1999, a company was founded, whose services affects the know -how about solar energy. The company offers studies and reports also measuring and control technology as well as special laboratory equipment.
• A company founded in 2001, focuses on the development and production of functionalized surfaces for light management. A particular specialization is uniform large area patterning of optical surfaces.
• Another founded in 2002, company has set itself the goal of developing heat sources for refrigeration and for making low-temperature heat instead of electricity as an energy source available. This is an investment technique available that can be used with the particular non-usable in the summer heat from a variety of sources for economic cooling.
• A newly founded technology company has set itself the goal of introducing an innovative photovoltaic technology in the market. Photovoltaic power plants of 100 kW to several megawatts of power may be the future of photovoltaics will determine. The company aims thereby to large photovoltaic installations in sunny countries.

Personnel, infrastructure and financing

At Fraunhofer ISE, 1,272 people are employed, of which 605 permanent staff make up (as of 31 December 2012).

Approx. 21,000 m² of offices, laboratories and testing grounds available for editing the research orders.

The operating budget of the Fraunhofer ISE in the fiscal year 2011 was 61.3 million euros. About 5 % of which came from the base funding, which is funded 90% federal funds and 10% from state funds. Around 50 % of the operating budget had income from contract research business, the remaining funds come from public and other income. In addition, the Institute -actuated 2011 investment of 7.7 million euros. (April 2012)