The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has chosen “Energy of the Future” as the theme for 2025. We at Helmholtz Energy are taking part in the Science Year and will be highlighting the topic of future energy in all its facets and providing exciting insights into the work of our researchers.

Energy plays a central role in our lives. Without energy, our cars wouldn't run, industry wouldn't be able to manufacture products and our homes would be freezing cold in winter. In future, energy should come from renewable, climate-friendly sources such as solar and wind instead of coal, gas or oil. 

The energy transition is a Herculean task that affects us all and that we can all influence. We need new ideas and solutions, especially new technologies, in order to create a climate-friendly and affordable energy system. Science plays a central role in shaping the energy system of the future. It researches innovative technologies to reduce climate-damaging emissions. At the same time, it aims to ensure that society and the economy benefit from the change. At Helmholtz Energy, we pursue an interdisciplinary approach in our research, i.e. various scientific disciplines such as engineering, natural sciences, social sciences and computer science work together to shape the energy system of the future.

As part of the Science Year 2025, we would like to take a closer look at our research and show what contribution we are making to the topic of future energies. In the first quarter, we will be presenting renewable energies and, in particular, the development of new technologies. We start with the topics of solar energy and wind energy.

These renewable energies were the most important sources of energy for the electricity supply in Germany in 2024. Wind power and photovoltaic systems together generated more than 200 TWh, which corresponds to 46.5% of total electricity generation in Germany (Bundesnetzagentur). Innovations in these areas continue to be important in order to drive forward the transformation of the energy system and achieve climate neutrality.

Solar Energy

In the field of solar energy, researchers at Helmholtz Energy are working on the development and scaling of perovskite solar cells, which are considered to be the future of the photovoltaic industry. The aim of these research projects is to develop highly efficient and fully recyclable solar cells and modules in order to increase the sustainability of the energy system.

Wind Energy

Wind energy is the most important source of electricity in Germany and already supplies more than a quarter of our electricity. In 2023, the more than 28,677 wind turbines in Germany generated enough energy for 34 million households (data from Bundesverband erneuerbare Energie e.V.). Electricity generation from wind energy is set to roughly double by 2030. Research is still needed to further improve the efficiency, reliability and cost-effectiveness of wind turbines.

The Research Wind Farm WiValdi (Wind Validation) was opened in 2023. This unique large-scale research facility is operated by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in collaboration with partners from the Wind Energy Research Alliance and is part of Helmholtz Energy. The technology and the composition of the research park are unique and enable full-scale science with an unprecedented level of detail under real environmental conditions. The aim of this research is to further increase the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of wind energy, reduce noise emissions and thus promote the acceptance of this technology.

Fusion

Nuclear fusion is a long-term option for meeting the growing global demand for energy.

In contrast to nuclear fission, fusion uses energy to cause light atomic nuclei (e.g. hydrogen) to fuse together to form heavier atomic nuclei (e.g. helium). A large amount of energy is released during the fusion process. For example, stars such as the sun obtain their energy from nuclear fusion.

The technologies for a fusion power plant are still a long way from being fully developed. There is still a long way to go before a functioning and economical fusion power plant can feed electricity into our sockets. With the “Fusion” program, Helmholtz wants to contribute to making nuclear fusion usable as an almost inexhaustible source of energy.

In the Fusion program, we are researching and developing the physical and technical foundations for the design and construction of fusion power plants as part of the European coordinated and funded fusion research. The central facilities for this are Wendelstein 7-X in Greifswald - the world's largest stellarator-type fusion facility - and the ITER tokamak experiment, which is currently being built in Cadarache, France.

Energy system: Grids and Storage

In the second quarter, we will present the topic of energy systems. The energy system comprises all the grids - such as the electricity or heating grid - that connect all the components for generating, storing and distributing energy. They are indispensable for our economy and our everyday lives, as they provide energy for households, industry and transportation.

Our researchers are working on a variety of technological developments that play a decisive role in the transformation of our energy system. Whether innovative storage systems, green hydrogen or AI methods for the energy system - all these technologies are necessary to create an affordable, secure and sustainable energy supply.

Hydrogen - Key to a climate neutral future

Hydrogen plays a key role in the energy transition. It can be used as an energy carrier in many areas—for example, in industry, transportation, or energy storage. As an energy storage medium in particular, hydrogen enables the decoupling of energy production and consumption over time, making it an important building block for the integration of renewable energies. So-called “green hydrogen” is particularly important. It is produced in a climate-neutral way, i.e., using electricity from renewable sources such as wind or solar power.

The demand for green hydrogen is growing rapidly in Germany: while around 55 terawatt hours (TWh) were needed in 2023, this figure could rise to 130 TWh by 2030 – and to over 350 TWh by 2045 (EY study: “Hydrogen: Energy Carrier of the Future”). This shows that hydrogen will be a central component of our future energy supply.

How is green hydrogen produced? Hydrogen is produced through a process called electrolysis. In this process, water is broken down into two components using electricity: hydrogen (H₂) and oxygen (O₂). It is important to note that the electricity must come from renewable energies – for example, wind or solar power. Only then can it be called green hydrogen, because its production is climate-neutral (i.e., no CO₂ is produced).

The focus of production is on special devices called electrolysers. They carry out the splitting of water. The better these devices work, the more efficiently and cheaply hydrogen can be produced – and the easier it is to use the technology on a large scale.

Research for a sustainable hydrogen economy. Our researchers are working to make hydrogen production more efficient, sustainable and cheaper. In unique research infrastructures, they develop new technologies related to hydrogen – and test them directly in practice. The goal is to further develop these innovations so that they become suitable for everyday use and economically viable. The research ranges from the fundamentals to concrete applications – and covers the entire value chain.

Electrochemical energy storage devices: What are they and why are they so important?

Electrochemical energy storage devices—such as batteries—can store electrical energy and release it again when needed. This is particularly important when we want to use electricity from the sun or wind. These energy sources do not always provide a steady supply of electricity—for example, the sun does not shine at night, and the wind does not blow constantly.

Among the various types of storage devices, batteries are considered particularly environmentally friendly and sustainable. The best-known type of battery is the lithium-ion battery. It is found in many devices that we use every day, such as smartphones, laptops, and electric cars. Its great advantage is that it can store a lot of energy in a small space.

But research continues. New types of batteries are set to become even more sustainable, safer, and more powerful:

• Sodium-ion batteries could help replace rare raw materials such as lithium and cobalt, thereby supporting the development of a European battery industry.
• Solid-state batteries use solid materials instead of liquids and are considered particularly safe and powerful.

The European Union sees batteries as key to climate protection and the energy transition. That is why work is also being done on a circular economy – i.e., recovering valuable raw materials such as lithium and cobalt from old batteries.

At Helmholtz Energy, we are conducting intensive research into the batteries of the future. Scientists are developing new materials, analyzing batteries with the help of artificial intelligence, and working to make batteries even more efficient, cheaper, and more sustainable.

Heat storage for a climate-neutral industry

Many industrial processes require large amounts of heat—for example, for melting, drying, or chemical reactions. In Germany, these heating processes account for about half of industrial energy consumption, with a large proportion of this being high-temperature heat above 400 °C. Around 70% of this heat currently still comes from fossil fuels such as natural gas. As a result, industrial process heat accounts for around 75% of greenhouse gas emissions from the entire industrial sector in Germany (source: Metalverse). A sustainable and efficient heat supply is therefore essential for the decarbonization of the industrial sector.

Heat storage as a key technology. Thermal energy storage systems are systems that can absorb, store, and release heat energy as needed—similar to a battery, but for heat instead of electricity. They enable the decoupling of energy generation and use over time, increase energy efficiency, and facilitate the integration of renewable energies such as solar thermal or power-to-heat technologies. They are considered a promising solution for replacing fossil fuels and making industry climate-neutral (source: Umweltbundesamt).