Press Release / December 11, 2024
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.
Press Release / December 21, 2023
In October 2023, the EU project "SUNGATE" was launched under the coordination of Fraunhofer IME in collaboration with 11 partners from industry and research. The aim of the project is to develop a novel, sustainable and cost-efficient biohybrid technology based on artificial photosynthesis that will enable the highly efficient and scalable production of solar fuel.
Press Release / December 4, 2023
South Africa could play an important role in the coming years as a reliable producer of green hydrogen — including as a supplier for Germany. However, the storage and distribution of this resource currently poses challenges. This is where the recently launched Fraunhofer joint research project HySecunda comes in, which is a cooperation between nine Fraunhofer institutes and the Fraunhofer Academy. The project aims to find optimized solutions for producing, storing and certifying green hydrogen. In addition, the consortium is supporting efforts to build capacity in the region and in current projects on hydrogen-based fuels for the aviation industry.
Press Release / November 24, 2023
Materials are actually "silent". Although temperature, moisture, chemical influences or mechanical stress leave their mark and have an effect on their strength and service life, they can hardly tell us anything about their history of use. Knowing more about the history of such influences could therefore make a decisive contribution to product quality. However, there is still no solution for making materials talk about their history. The "SmartRust" research project now aims to change this.
Press Release / February 8, 2022
What otherwise takes hours in the laboratory, involves annoying waiting times and many sources of error, can now be accomplished by a robot in less time, well digitally documented and with high reproducibility. Automation of synthesis processes for nanoparticles can be a milestone for the use of new therapeutic and diagnostic medical devices – and at the same time increase occupational safety and relieve highly qualified laboratory personnel from monotonous routines.
Press Release / September 24, 2021
In the SME-acute program "Efficient Water Treatment" – abbreviated as EWA – the Fraunhofer Institutes IFAM and ISC are pooling their expertise in the areas of electrochemical process engineering, particle technology, and material analytics. Together with and for industrial partners, they are working in four thematic areas on the efficient treatment of the important resource water. Interested companies can learn more in a free online industry workshop on November 4, 2021, about topics such as battery recycling, lithium extraction, alternative clarification processes, and seawater desalination for green hydrogen.
Press Release / December 3, 2019
Solar cells with the highest efficiencies provide electricity at low cost while consuming less space and resources. They also enable new products, such as electric cars that can be charged via solar cells. The efficiency of silicon solar cells cannot be increased indefinitely due to physical limits. In contrast, tandem solar cells made of multiple light-absorbing layers can achieve efficiencies of over 35%, which is why they are at the forefront of current solar cell research. In the Fraunhofer flagship project "MaNiTU," six Fraunhofer Institutes are developing sustainable, highly efficient, and cost-effective tandem solar cells based on new absorber materials.