Goals and Roles

Scientists in the Research Field Energy are working on securing a long-term, sustainable energy supply and are drawing up solutions for this that are both economically and ecologically feasible. This calls for a holistic examination of the relevant energy chains, including consideration of the general frameworks and concomitant phenomena, as well as the climate and environmental consequences. Consideration of all kinds of primary energy and the broad-based exploration of innovative technologies for the efficient and effective conversion, storage and use of energy forms is absolutely essential in this respect.

The long-term goal is the complete substitution of energy resources with a limited time horizon by replacing these with energy resources that are sustainable, long-lasting and climate neutral. The short and medium-term objectives include cutting energy consumption by means of efficient conversion and usage, reducing the dependence on imports in Germany and Europe, and the study of new storage technologies capable of mitigating climate and environmental consequences, and ensuring that the special requirements needed for mobile applications are met.

The Helmholtz Association draws its energy research strategy from this overarching spectrum. This builds on the existing competence and experience of the Helmholtz Centres. The proficiency, know-how and expertise of other scientific and industrial partners are taken into account. At the same time, future fields are identified in which the Helmholtz Association must establish and expand new competencies and expertise.

The energy consumption of present and future generations calls for the development of new technologies from which competitive innovations can develop. With this objective in mind, the scientists fathom out the potential of renewable energy resources, such as solar energy, biomass, or geothermal power. They are increasingly working on ways to raise the efficiency of conventional power stations and to make energy use generally more efficient. The work on generating energy through nuclear fusion will open up a new source of energy in the long term. This route represents a major scientific and technical challenge that is being advanced in international collaboration. Finally, the Helmholtz Association is contributing to nuclear safety research with its globally unique knowhow to assure the safe operation of nuclear reactors as well as the treatment and disposal of highly radioactive wastes.

In addition to the many different research activities, structural developments are also taking place in the Helmholtz Association that strengthen the field of energy research. The successful merger between the University of Karlsruhe and the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe initiated through the excellence competition launched by the federal and state governments led to the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, in short KIT, being established, and to the creation of a KIT Centre for Energy, which will develop into the leading European centre for energy research. The Forschungszentrum Jülich and the RWTH Aachen are pooling their mutual complementary expertise and competencies in the JARA-ENERGY section of the Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance JARA in order to create an internationally pioneering research partnership and so draw up new transdisciplinary and cross-departmental energy solutions.

Finally, the field of solar energy research has been strengthened with the Competence Centre of Excellence Thin-film and Nanotechnology for Photovoltaics Berlin jointly founded by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie with partners from industry and the TU Berlin.