Welcome to the KIT Energy Center
Research, education and innovation at KIT support the energy transition and transformation of the German energy system. Priorities clearly comprise the areas of energy efficiency, renewable energies, energy storage and nets, electric mobility as well as the expansion of internationally collaborative research.
With 1800 researchers and technical staff, the KIT Energy Center forms one of the biggest energy research centers in Europe. It concentrates research work conducted at KIT and notable cooperation partners, joining various subjects and disciplines as well as uniting fundamental and applied research concerning all types of energy relevant for industry, households, services and mobility.
Institutes and research groups that are part of the KIT Energy Center conduct their research in their own authority. A new quality of research and education results from bringing together topics, enhancing interdisciplinary collaboration of researchers and sharing equipment, among others from industrial research. The KIT Energy Center works out solutions energy-technological solutions and serves as a competent contact concerning questions about energy from politics, economics and society.
The work and research at KIT Energy Center can be divided into five Topics.
On March 1 and 2, 2024, the Akademie für Politische Bildung and the Bayerische EliteAkademie hosted the conference „Mein Beitrag zur Energiewende“ in Tutzing, Bavaria. Through various workshops, the event offered its participants insight into different approaches to actively contribute to the energy revolution.
One of the highlights was the half-day workshop about photovoltaic cells led by Holger Röhm, research associate at the KIT Institute of Lighting Engineering and Energy Ambassador of the KIT Energy Centre. With remarkable dedication, the workshop participants created functioning dye-sensitized solar cells from natural materials like beetroot, blackberries, grapes and hibiscus.
We want to thank Holger Röhm for his commitment to transferring scientific know-how to society!
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On February 28th and 29th, 2024, we had the honor of welcoming numerous distinguished visitors from science and industry to the 'Power-to-Molecules' workshop at KIT. Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) organized this workshop together with the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL). Our goal was to bring together diverse expertise across the technological value chain to evaluate the Power-to-X field, baseline existing technologies, assess the impact of emerging disruptive technologies on the future deployment of Power-to-X technologies, determine research and development priorities and ultimately provide a vision for the future role of Power-to-X in our pursuit of net-zero emissions. Particular attention was paid to identifying the integration and scale-up activities needed to accelerate deployment and adoption of Power-to-X technologies at a scale that will make a global impact on the energy system. A key outcome from the workshop will be a peer-reviewed journal article describing these research priorities and our vision for the future.
We are still thrilled by the positive atmosphere and high level of dedication demonstrated by the participants during the event. They not only actively participated but also initiated concrete steps for the further development of the ideas discussed and for a continued cooperation. We are convinced that this workshop has laid the foundation for fruitful cooperation between KIT and NREL in the field of Power-to-X. In this spirit, we look forward to continuing our partnership to advance this important topic together.
Our sincere thanks goes to all the speakers and participants who contributed to the success of this workshop. Special thanks also goes to the organizing team and the support provided by Peter F. Green, Deputy Laboratory Director and Chief Research Officer at NREL, and Oliver Kraft, Vice President Research at KIT, without whom this event would not have been possible!
On February 16, Prof. Thomas Hirth, Vice President for Transfer and International Affairs, welcomed a high-ranking delegation from Academia Sinica in Taipei, Taiwan, to KIT Campus North. The group was led by its president Prof. James C. Liao. The visit focused on pyrolysis research at KIT, including a tour of the liquid metal laboratory KALLA and the hydrogen test center HYKA. This technical exchange was largely organized by the Institute of Technical Chemistry and Polymer Chemistry (ITCP) and the Institute of Thermal Energy Technology and Safety (ITES). The dialog with Academia Sinica revealed numerous parallels in the challenges of energy system transformation in both countries. These findings form a promising basis for increased future cooperation.
