Long Night of the Sciences 2025
Curious visitors welcome! Lab tours, 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.
Location Nuermberg "Auf AEG"
Hydrogen as the energy source of the future - how fuel cells work
Have you always wanted to know how a fuel cell works and what it consists of? We answer these questions with the help of our fuel cell model and hydrogen-powered model car.
You can follow the conversion of chemical energy into electrical energy live in a reversible fuel cell.
Another highlight: our fuel cell-powered robot!
Location: "Auf AEG", Building 16, 4th floor, Fürther Straße 250, 90429 Nuremberg
Robots for the energy transition: Automated materials research for fuel cells & electrolysis
We show how automation and high-throughput methods are helping to accelerate research into the energy transition. Fuel cells and water electrolyzers have a complex structure and consist of numerous parts. Finding the best materials and combinations is a lengthy process. We will show you how we can automate steps and thus accelerate research. You can compete with a robot using a simple coating process.
Location: "Auf AEG", Building 16, 4th floor, Fürther Straße 250, 90429 Nuremberg
Liquids on the computer
Computer simulations are a powerful tool for optimizing material properties or manufacturing processes.
We will show you how this works using printing and coating processes for the production of modern printable solar cells or using transport processes in fuel cells and electrolyzers.
Location: "Auf AEG", Building 16, 4th floor, Fürther Straße 250, 90429 Nuremberg
A new way to analyze polymers in photovoltaic modules
What are solar modules made of - and how can their materials be efficiently analyzed and recycled? ANYMO is a portable near-infrared spectrometer system that is combined with artificial intelligence to identify backsheet and encapsulation materials directly on site. It helps solar park operators to assess damage, optimize maintenance and plan recycling strategies - all without dismantling the modules. Visit us for live demonstrations and discover how ANYMO combines spectroscopy, data science and solar technology.
Location: "Auf AEG", Building 16, 4th floor, Fürther Straße 250, 90429 Nuremberg
H2Season: Cost-effective and scalable seasonal energy storage of the future
Large amounts of renewable energy are generated in Germany and Europe during the summer months. Nevertheless, over 8 TWh have to be curtailed every year due to insufficient hourly demand. Further terawatt hours that are not curtailed are sold at uneconomical prices on the spot market, while a significant energy shortage in the winter months slows down the energy transition and causes major price fluctuations, with negative consequences for both private households and industry.
Existing storage technologies - such as batteries or compressed hydrogen - have not yet been able to solve this key challenge in a safe, scalable and cost-efficient manner.
The H2Season technology, based on electrochemical hydrogen storage cycles in liquid organic molecules (e.g. alcohols), shows promising potential as a practical and economical solution for the energy transition.
Get to know the first H2-Season prototype!
Location: "Auf AEG", Building 16, 4th floor, Fürther Straße 250, 90429 Nuremberg
Groundbreaking climate research in the field of hydrogen storage and CO2 electrolysis
Germany and Europe are working intensively on the energy transition - visible in funding programs and projects for green energy research.
Take the opportunity to get to know a research facility that develops cutting-edge technologies from laboratory scale to real-life application.
Our scientists are working on exciting topics at our site in Nuremberg: Production and characterization of micrometer-precise electrochemical electrodes, LOHC-based hydrogen storage in thermo- and electrocatalytic systems, robot-assisted high-throughput research and CO₂ utilization technologies.
Note: The guided tours take place on the hour. The number of participants is limited to 20 people.
Location: "Auf AEG", Building 16, 4th floor, Fürther Straße 250, 90429 Nuremberg
Printed solar modules from the printer - the solar factory of the future
Imagine that solar modules are not made from heavy silicon, but from light, flexible plastic! In this innovative facility, the Solarfabrik team will show you how modern printing techniques can be used to conjure up solar modules directly on glass or wafer-thin PET film.
There's a solar piano and solar car races for kids of all ages to try out!
Location: On AEG, Building 16, 1st floor, Fürther Straße 250, 90429 Nuremberg
Location Erlangen (Immerwahrstraße)
Solar cell development with AI & robots - scientific revolution through automation and data
In our guided tour, we will show you what automated materials research looks like in our laboratories. Our robots produce solar cells from organic semiconductors and then characterize them - fully automatically. The data generated in the process is evaluated by AI and used to carry out optimizations in high-dimensional parameter spaces with as few experiments as possible.
Note: The guided tours take place on the hour. The number of participants is limited to 12 people. Registration is possible directly on site.
Location: Immerwahrstraße 2, 91058 Erlangen