HI ERN | EN

Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energy

The Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energy (HI ERN) investigates and develops material- and process-based solutions for a climate-neutral, sustainable, and cost-effective utilization of renewable energies. The institute works on the structural and functional characterization, modeling, and processing of materials relevant to hydrogen and solar technology. The common goal is the understanding of structure-performance-process relationship on the mesoscale.

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RECENT NEWS

21 October 2025

Sustainable production of methanol from biomass and renewable electricity: Launch of the MeOH-RES research project

The launch of the MeOH-RES project, led by HI ERN, is the first step towards sustainable methanol production. Methanol is one of the world's most important chemicals and energy sources, but it is mainly been obtained from fossil fuels until now. The project aims to produce methanol in a climate-neutral way using biogenic residues and renewable electricity.

20 October 2025

3 over 100: All three HI ERN directors with an outstanding h-index over 100

An extraordinary scientific success: all three directors of the institute have recently achieved an h-index of over 100 - clear evidence of the outstanding productivity and international influence of their research and that of their teams at HI ERN.

17 October 2025

Understanding Degradation Pathways in PEM Water Electrolysis

Scientists reveal degradation mechanisms in PEM water electrolysis by a correlative electrochemical and nanoanalysis approach. The results were recently published in the journal Energy & Environmental Science.

16 October 2025

The Surprising Flexibility of Ice at the Nanoscale

For the first time, researchers have been able to record the complex structures in ice that are formed during the freezing of liquid water. The results come from the first observations of the molecular structure of samples from thin samples of frozen water and were recently published in the journal Nature Communications.

6 August 2025

Prof. Gabriel da Silva receives CAPES-Humboldt Research Fellowship

This research grant from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior) enables scientists with above-average qualifications from Brazil to carry out research stays in Germany. Gabriel da Silva, a chemist and professor at the Federal University of Viçosa in Brazil, is currently a visiting professor at HI ERN.

14 July 2025

Green hydrogen in fuel cell quality from the municipal gas grid

For the first time, high-purity hydrogen has been isolated electrochemically from the municipal gas grid. Hydrogen is produced when excess wind power electricity is fed into the gas grid. Since the successful commissioning in May of this year, the recovery of pure, high-quality hydrogen has been demonstrated through reconversion into electricity in a fuel cell.

UPCOMING Events

25 October 2025 | Nuremberg and Erlangen

Long Night of Sciences 2025

Curious visitors welcome! Exhibits and the direct exchange with our scientists offer interested parties exciting insights into the work of the HI ERN and illustrate the scope of our research in the field of renewable energies.

9 - 10 October 2025 | Nuremberg

NGSE10 - Next Generation Solar Energy

This year the conference will include a topic-specific workshop about the Emerging PV initiative and a poster session.

Degree programme | Lecture series

Study for a better future with Clean Energy Processes

The energy transition is one of the great challenges of our time: Where will energy come from in the future? And how can it be stored and used efficiently in a sustainable chemical industry? The focus is on sustainable production as well as the distribution and use of renewable energies for industry - always taking into account socio-economic, ecological and legal factors. Students benefit from a research-strong, interdisciplinary approach as well as FAU's close ties to HI ERN.