Energy Efficiency Technologies

Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety, and Energy Technology UMSICHT

SMART ENERGY SUPPLY

Our objective is the development of new technologies to increase energy efficiency and their integration into existing energy systems. To achieve this, we combine the experience and research results we obtained from our laboratories and test benches using simulated tools – always focusing on the market and the addition of value.

Main topics

  • Electrical Energy Storage
  • Polygeneration, Thermal Chiller
  • Optimization of Energy Systems

Our competencies

Our technical focal areas are electrical energy storage devices that are required to balance the fluctuating consumption levels and discontinuous feed of renewable energies into the grid; Organic-Rankine-Cycle (ORC) plants that currently turn unused waste heat, such as from biogas plants into usable and profitable power; thermal chillers that provide cold from solar heat or waste heat, from the single-family home to the remote cooling grid.

In addition to these technological focus areas, the entire power supply concept is being optimized systemically, where we develop the supply structures for electricity, heat and cold as well as the operations management as well as possible.

R&D-service

  • Electrical energy storage
    Development of redox flow batteries, testing of lithium batteries as well as optimization of CAES systems, integration and usage optimization of storage devices in the grid
  • Polygeneration/ORC
    Development, optimization and construction of ORC plants for biogas facilities, solar ORC or wood ORC in the output class of 50-200 kWel
  • Thermal cold production / storage
    Steam Jet Ejector Chiller (SJEC) technology (waste heat, solar) and absorption cold; solar cooling, cold storage (PCM/PCS)
  • Optimization of Energy Systems
    Modeling and optimization of central and decentralized energy systems for the supply of electricity, heat, cold; LowEx

Industries and target groups

  • Energy supply companies
  • Operators of renewable energy plants
  • Complex energy-intensive consumers
  • Producing industry
  • Companies in the innovative process
  • Architects, building planners, technical building services equipment