Since being founded more than 30 years ago, the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE has covered a wide range of complementary technologies, preparing it for the challenges facing the energy transformation. In addition to solar technology research, the systemic aspects and questions regarding energy storage also played a role right from the start.
 
Today energy storage technologies and efficient heating and cooling processes are two topics particularly in the focus of the energy transformation. Fraunhofer ISE has now consolidated its activities in these areas at its new site on the Auerstrasse in Freiburg. The new location offers much more space, which has allowed the Institute to significantly expand its laboratory equipment.
 
On July 2, 2015, the new center for storage and heat conversion technologies was officially inaugurated.
 
“Substantially expanding our options for research into storage systems as well as heating and cooling does justice to several key issues that are decisive for our path to an energy supply system based on renewable energy,” said Institute director Prof. Eicke R. Weber.
 
New technical laboratories are dedicated to battery systems for photovoltaics and mobility, redox flow batteries, hydrogen generation using electrolysis, high-temperature solar thermal storage systems, as well as heat pumps and chillers powered by electricity, gas or heat.