Fraunhofer and MIT establish research center for renewable energy

Nolan Browne, Director of Business Development for Energy Sectors at the new Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy, believes that MIT will also benefit greatly from the cooperation: “Our aim is to create a bridge between the research at MIT and successful commercialization.” The auspices are good: Professor Tonio Buonassisi, the cooperation partner at MIT, was a member of Prof. Eicke Weber’s former research team at UC Berkeley.

The first research projects are already being prepared. “One of the key areas of work will be to advance the development of solar technology,” explains Browne. “We need cheaper components and a better output, because solar power generation will only be successful on the huge U.S. market if it can compete economically.” It will be necessary not only to improve conventional techniques but also to strike out on new paths. For example, smart circuits and software programs could control and optimize the output of solar power modules, while new materials and processes could make production more economic. Simple assembly systems could reduce installation costs.

Energy-efficient construction will be another major aspect of the new laboratory’s work. Here too, experts anticipate that demand in the USA will increase over the coming decades in the wake of rising energy prices. “We have many years of experience in the fields of building construction and renovation which focus on thermal insulation, reducing electricity consumption and saving heating costs,” states Schindler. “But in this case too, our work has been mainly in Europe. In the USA we have the opportunity to become acquainted with and adjust to climatic conditions which are quite different and also highly diverse.”

Activities at the new Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems CSE will also include the development and optimization of production processes for alternative energy technologies – for example, fuel cells. The research scientists intend to test the functioning of newly developed components with rapid prototyping and to reduce production costs using packaging technology. Collaborative projects are also planned with the neighboring Fraunhofer Center for Manufacturing Innovation CMI, one of the six institutes already established by Fraunhofer USA. “If everyone contributes their specialist knowledge, we will create a win-win situation,” concludes Browne.