Welcome to the Energy Lab 2.0
The energy transition raises many questions: How can energy be generated in an environmentally friendly way and stored efficiently? What happens when the sun doesn't shine and the wind doesn't blow? And what happens if more electricity is suddenly needed? To answer these questions, the Energy Lab 2.0 researches the intelligent interaction of various options to generate, store and supply energy.
Research for the Energy Transition
By 2045, climate neutrality is to be achieved. Meanwhile – by 2030 – greenhouse gas emissions are to be reduced by at least 65% compared with 1990.
However, wind or solar energy cannot be generated consistently everywhere. Energy is often needed far away from where it is generated, and peak loads can be expected at certain times.
This dilemma must therefore be solved because affordable and environmentally compatible energy should no longer remain a utopia.
As Europe's largest research infrastructure for renewable energy, the Energy Lab 2.0 finds answers to all these questions. Here, the intelligent networking of environmentally friendly energy generators and storage methods are investigated. In addition, energy systems of the future are simulated and tested based on real consumer data.
A plant network links electrical, thermal and chemical energy flows as well as new information and communication technologies. The research aims at improving the transport, distribution, storage and use of electricity and thus create the basis for the energy transition.
Then Energy Lab 2.0 is a cooperative project of the Karlsruher Institute of Technology (KIT) and the Helmholtz Centres Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR).
The project is sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) and the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts (MWK).
KIT is now part of the Open DC Alliance. Joining is a further step in research at the Energy Lab. How energy consumption can be reduced in the long term with direct current and good grid management is part of the cooperation. In the future, there should be CO2-neutral power grids.
Visit ODCA
The Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology filters CO2 out of the air. Not only does this purify the air but also recovers valuable carbon.
An information day on this DAC technology will take place on 10.9.2024. In addition to insights into the latest research and its significance for the net zero project, there will be various talks and presentations.
The Energy Lab is part of the RF 2.0 project, in which the environmental footprint of research facilities is determined and optimized. The CO2 footprint of particle accelerators is currently being analyzed in collaboration with CERN and other major research institutions.
Read Press Release (in German)