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

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Dr.-Ing. Birk Fritsch honored with Best Paper Award

HI ERN postdoc Birk Fritsch received the Best Paper Award for his paper "Controlling the Solution Chemistry in Aqueous Phases During In Situ Microscopy" at the Microscopy and Microanalysis 2024 conference in Cleveland (USA).

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Award: HI ERN doctoral student receives prize for best presentation

Moritz Geuß was awarded the "Best Oral Presentation Award" at the HYCELTEC 2024 symposium. In his presentation, he presented the quantification of iridium dissolution using a gas diffusion electrode (GDE) setup.

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Catalyst for Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis with Low Iridium Loading developed

The new catalyst doubles the iridium utilization and thus reduces the amount of iridium required in a PEMWE cell. This can reduce the costs of the promising PEMWE technology for producing hydrogen and accelerate its large-scale implementation.

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Postdoctoral researcher Birk Fritsch selected for YESP excellence funding program

HI ERN postdoc Birk Fritsch has secured a place in Forschungszentrum Jülich's Young Excellent Scientist Program (YESP) alongside four other young researchers. The program is aimed at aspiring young scientists who are aiming for a leading position in science.

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Interview: Harnessing the Power of the Sun

The energy world of the future relies on photovoltaics. Researchers at HI ERN want to leverage the potential of new solar technologies faster - with a unique innovation network. Prof. Christoph Brabec and Dr. Jens Hauch from HI ERN tell Endeavours magazine that the future of photovoltaics consists of more than just roofs and fallow land.

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Efficient recycling process for perovskite solar cells demonstrated

Researchers at HI ERN have developed an efficient and environmentally friendly process for recycling perovskite solar cells. This allows up to 99.97 percent of the materials used in a solar cell to be recovered and reused - with comparable efficiency, less waste and lower costs. This is the first time that such a high level of efficiency has been achieved in the recycling of perovskite solar cells.

UPCOMING Events

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19 September 2024 | Online

Wissenschaft online+: "I see what you don't see: filming chemical reactions"

Controlled chemical reactions enable us to design high-tech processes. Tailor-made reactions are highly relevant, not least for successful decarbonization. It is therefore particularly interesting to film such reactions in liquid using transmission electron microscopy. However, in order to use this technique on a broad scale, it must be ruled out that the reaction itself feels observed.

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9 October 2024 | Hallstadt

Cleantech Cluster: The future of PV

Printed solar cells such as organic photovoltaics (OPV) and perovskites enable the flexible multiple use of surfaces, e.g. on building facades and in agriculture. The Cleantec Cluster's "The Future of PV" event will use exciting keynote speeches and a workshop to highlight the opportunities that this new technology presents for the regional industry and the possibilities for participation.

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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.