➀ Junior Professor Stefan Mönch at the University of Stuttgart has been awarded an ERC Starting Grant of €1.5 million to research highly efficient electrical energy conversion technologies;

➁ The project focuses on partial power processing (PPP) converters and multilevel converters to minimize energy losses in applications like electromobility and solid-state heat pumps, achieving efficiencies over 99%;

➂ Research explores cascading topologies and optimal voltage levels to extend applications to smart materials, soft robotics, and energy harvesting, supported by collaborations in projects like GaN4EmoBiL and COOLPOL.

➀ Dr.-Ing. Ronny Tobias Zimmermann received the Otto Hahn Medal for his research on reactor and catalyst pellet designs enabling flexible chemical energy storage via Power-to-X processes;

➁ His work developed core-shell catalyst pellets that prevent temperature spikes under dynamic renewable energy conditions, maintaining high product yield without requiring reactor modifications;

➂ The innovation offers an economically viable solution for large-scale energy storage, with Zimmermann currently leading a research group at the Max Planck Institute in Magdeburg.

➀ The HiQ-CARB project developed sustainable conductive additives (carbon nanotubes and bio-based acetylene black) to reduce CO₂ emissions in lithium-ion batteries, replacing fossil-based materials;

➁ The additives improved battery performance, reduced material usage, and were validated in production by partners like Fraunhofer ISC and CustomCells, enabling lighter and more cost-effective batteries;

➂ Life cycle analysis confirmed a 50% lower CO₂ footprint compared to conventional methods, supporting Europe's transition to eco-friendly battery manufacturing and electric mobility.

➀ Fraunhofer IFAM developed dynamic impedance spectroscopy for real-time monitoring of battery status during operation, improving safety and lifespan;

➁ The method enables immediate detection of overheating in electric vehicle batteries and optimizes charging strategies, reducing wear;

➂ Applications extend to renewable energy storage and safety-critical sectors like aviation, supporting diverse battery technologies, including solid-state and sodium-ion.

➀ Fraunhofer IIS and IWES developed an acoustic sensor system with a specialized chip to remotely detect rotor blade damage in wind turbines, reducing costly inspections.

➁ The chip captures structural sound anomalies, transmits minimal data via mobile networks, and enables real-time monitoring, optimizing maintenance for offshore wind farms.

➂ Future upgrades aim to detect lightning strikes, enhancing reliability and supporting the energy transition through improved turbine durability.

➀ Fraunhofer IIS and IWES developed a chip-based acoustic sensor system to remotely monitor internal damages (e.g., cracks) in wind turbine blades, reducing costly offshore maintenance;

➁ The solution captures structural sound waves via body sensors, identifies damage-specific acoustic patterns, and transmits only critical data via mobile networks for low-bandwidth efficiency;

➂ The ongoing project expands the system to detect lightning strikes, building on prior prototypes to enhance offshore wind farm reliability and optimize maintenance.

➀ Researchers developed an automated data analysis method for Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (KPFM) to measure millisecond-level voltage changes on photoelectrode surfaces, enhancing insights into charge transport dynamics.

➀ The technique, demonstrated using titanium dioxide (TiO2), enables precise correlation between local morphology and optoelectronic properties, critical for improving photoelectrochemical cells (PECs) for sustainable hydrogen and fuel production.

➂ The innovation paves the way for designing more efficient and durable materials, advancing solar fuel technologies by leveraging high-resolution microscopy and data science approaches.

➀ The German Research Foundation (DFG) awards €7.3 million over 4.5 years to the TIDE Research Training Group, a joint initiative by the Universities of Cologne and Bonn, focusing on molecular order's impact on organic electronics;

➁ The second funding phase emphasizes device implementation, building on foundational research linking experimental and theoretical approaches in flexible electronics like OLEDs and solar cells;

➂ Doctoral students receive multidisciplinary training, including international research opportunities and a Bench-to-Business program to bridge academic research with industry applications.

➀ Researchers at the University of Surrey developed a lithium-CO₂ battery that stores energy and captures CO₂, using cost-effective caesium phosphomolybdate as a catalyst;

➁ The battery demonstrated high efficiency, stability over 100 cycles, and reduced energy loss, with potential applications in cutting emissions on Earth and Mars;

➂ The design utilizes scalable materials, offering a feasible solution for renewable energy storage and carbon reduction efforts.

➀ The FAU-led E|MPOWER project launched a test track on Germany's A6 motorway to research inductive charging for electric heavy-duty vehicles, collaborating with government and industry partners;

➀ Bavarian ministers highlighted the technology's potential to eliminate range anxiety with over 90% efficiency, transforming future mobility;

➂ Testing with equipped vehicles begins in late 2025, focusing on system efficiency, coil integration, and safety compliance, using road-embedded coils to enable wireless charging during driving.

➀ A German-Dutch research team led by Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) discovered that hydrogen bubbles in electrolyzers contain electrolyte microdroplets, revealing internal flow dynamics for the first time;

➁ The study identified that gas bubbles merge and create microjets of electrolyte, forming droplet clouds that reduce efficiency by altering electrode contact and delaying bubble detachment;

➂ Findings, published in Nature Communications, provide insights into improving electrolyzer efficiency, with ongoing research funded by BMBF and NWO to address technical challenges.

➀ The Universität der Bundeswehr München developed RESAT, an interactive tool for analyzing and optimizing renewable energy systems to achieve cost-effective 100% energy autonomy;

➁ RESAT enables users to visualize configurations, compare technologies (e.g., photovoltaics vs. wind power), and assess impacts of storage systems and cost changes;

➂ The tool serves citizens, municipalities, businesses, and educators, with plans to expand to heat and other consumption areas in the future.

➀ A study by HTW Berlin shows households with PV systems, batteries, and EVs achieve 73% energy autonomy, reducing grid electricity use from 6,900 kWh to 1,900 kWh annually;

➁ Challenges include low charging efficiency (76% at 1.4 kW) and standby energy waste (Wallboxes consume up to 20W, costing 164 kWh/year);

➂ Dynamic surplus charging boosts solar usage by 25%, and larger PV systems (15-20 kW) cover 62% of EV energy needs, enhancing sustainability.

➀ Data centres, driven by AI and cloud computing, are energy-intensive and face an environmental challenge due to their high power consumption.

➁ Current solutions like renewable energy and advanced cooling systems are insufficient to meet the growing demand for data processing and storage.

➂ Nuclear power is proposed as a potential solution for powering data centres, offering sustainable energy with benefits such as high energy density and low emissions, though challenges like safety concerns and high costs remain.

➀ Vishay has introduced a new AEC-Q200 qualified thick film power resistor, the LTO 150H, which can handle up to 75J of pulse energy in 0.1 seconds.;

➁ The resistor is designed for high-power and high-reliability applications across various industries including automotive, industrial, energy, telecom, and defense, offering enhanced protection against short transient pulses;

➂ Features include high power dissipation, low thermal resistance, compact design, and support for temperatures up to +175°C.

➀ The new regulation under § 14a EnWG allows grid operators to manage the power consumption of large consumers like heat pumps and electric vehicle charging stations to ensure grid stability.

➁ Fraunhofer CINES held a workshop with grid operators, researchers, consulting firms, and industry partners to address challenges in the low-voltage network sector.

➂ The insights were published in a whitepaper that discusses current issues and future long-term usage options for the requirements of § 14a EnWG.

➀ Texas Instruments (TI) has released a three-phase energy metrology reference design, TIDA-010244, which uses isolated high-performance multichannel ADCs for accurate measurements.

➁ The design supports Class 0.2S accuracy, measures current and voltage across all AC mains lines, and enables high sampling rates for power quality features like harmonic analysis.

➂ This reference design is suitable for various applications including electricity meters, power quality analyzers, and EV or AC charging stations, providing flexibility in choosing between cost and performance optimizations.

➀ Researchers from the University of Tokyo have developed a cost-effective method to test lithium-ion batteries for overheating, aiding in the design of safer batteries.

➁ The new method involves creating a miniature battery that is more prone to thermal runaway, allowing easier study in laboratory settings.

➂ By using a thermal runaway factor (TRF), the method evaluates the likelihood of a battery overheating based on its energy storage, volume-to-surface ratio, and material properties.

➀ The University of Duisburg-Essen introduces Prof. Dr. Florian Ziel;

➁ Ziel's research focuses on data science in energy and environment;

➂ Ziel develops algorithms for efficient data analysis and pattern recognition.