News Archives

The former news are in German. If you are interested in a specific topic, fell free to contact us.

The PHIL simulation platform at Energy Lab 2.0 helps researchers, manufacturing companies, and system operators analyze, develop, and test hardware future solutions for energy systems.
Read more about Research-to-Business
ARTE produced a comprehensive documentary about green energy and its storage options. This documentary aims at the chemical storage as the methanation plants @ Energy Lab 2.0. Professor Hagenmeyer, moreover, explains how smart future energy grids should be designed.
Watch documentary (in German or French)
In a TV report on November 15, Sophie An and Prof. Veit Hagenmeyer (IAI) explain how the future smart grid based on renewable energies can optimally distribute and provide the required power at any moment, both locally and transregionally, by means of storage technologies.
moma future: Energie der Zukunft
The head of "Power Hardware in the Loop" was awarded "Scientist of the Month of 'November" by the Helmholtz Association. Thus, the association acknowledged his excellence in developping, modelling and investigation energy systems in the Energy Lab 2.0. Herewith, we congratulate him.
More about the Scientist of the Month (in German)
Once again, the Energy Smart Home Lab is dwelled by two volunteers. These volunteers live in the lab like they would do at home: they use hot water, turn on the lights, use domestic devices and their computer, ... .The differnce to "at home" is the constant measurement and analysis of their consumption.
For December, the scientist hold out for more volunteers.

On July 6, Prof. Dr. Thomas Hirth, the KIT Vice President for Transfer and International Affairs, awarded Prof. Dr. Roland Dittmeyer and Dr. Francisco Vidal-Vázquez the 2nd place of this year's Neuland Innovation Award in the category "Idea Award" for their contribution "Green methanol and biomethane from biogas, water and renewable energy by the hybrid process developed at IMVT".
Read more on Neuland
In ZEIT Online, the KIT described how the successful start-up INERATEC was supported and is still being acconpanied by the KIT Gründerschmiede. Our project partner INERATEC plans to commission its 14th power-to-liquid plant next year.
Read the Article (in German)
With a kick-off event at the Energy Lab 2.0, the participating students were welcomed with a kick-off event on June 27th. In the weeks to come, the master students from the study programs of computer science, electrical engineering and information technology, mechatronics and mechanical engineering will devote themselves to four project topics from the field of energy systems.
Read more about the Project
The documentary "Wind as the engine of climate change" reports about the Energy Lab 2.0 starting at minute 46:46. In the context of this Arte documentary, the power-to-liquid process, in which CO2 from the air is converted into fuel, is presented as a possible solution to the climate problem.
Watch the Documentary (English Subtitles)
This week and last week, a team from ARTE was at Energy Lab 2.0, accompanying and filming a series of experiments on the three-phase methanation plant for a documentary on renewable energy. This documentary will be released by the end of the year.
Read more about Power-to-Gas
This year, Girls' Day also takes place at the Energy Smart Home Lab. Schoolgirls from the surrounding area will have insights into STEM subjects in general, and into energy transition research. During the virtual tour of the living lab, the girls learn how to support the energy transition even from home.
There was great interest in the event and it was quickly booked up.

Professor Dittmeyer is talking about negative emissions and the reduction of carbon dioxide in the latest Helmholtz video. He explains the Direct Air Capture (DAC for short) from the Power-to-X process chain. He also explains in detail how C02 is extracted from the air and the importance of this process for the energy transition.
Watch Video on YouTube (in German)
Nils Müller is a visiting researcher from Denmark at the Energy Lab 2.0. He is working on the detection of cyberattacks on the control of energy systems such as commercial PV inverters and battery storage systems. Here, anomalies in the sensor data of the physical or chemical process, as well as network data, should provide clues to unintentional foreign interference. The cybersecurity group of the Energy Lab 2.0 supports this by providing experimental platforms and reproduces typical cyberattacks.
Read more about the Security Lab
For a week, bioliq® synthesis gas from the neighbouring pilot plant was converted into methane at Energy Lab 2.0. Thus, via intermediate steps, biomass has been converted into a type of gas that can be fed into the public grid. In the test campaign, the activation method was optimized for energy efficiency as well. Another step towards independence from fossil fuels.
Read more about the test campaign
In December 2021, the methanation catalyst was successfully activated "in situ" in the bubble column reactor. The reduction and activation method was developed at KIT. This in-situ activation method can significantly reduce the workload and, moreover, make three-phase-methanation more important ecologically and economically.
Starting today, this new method will be verified and further improved in a new test campaign.

In the context of the Copernicus project ENSURE, the real-time simulators of FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg and KIT (Energy Lab 2.0) were virtually coupled to a distributed real-time simulation. The simulators are coupled using the VILLAS framework. This enables fast data exchange between the individual geographically distant networks via defined network nodes. In the benchmark scenario, the FAU simulator simulates a transmission network (sub-area of the Nordic test system), and the KIT simulator simulates a distribution network (KIT Campus North 20kV network). The synchronization of the distributed real-time simulation is realized via GPS clocks in both laboratories.
Read more about EGSAL on the RPE-Website
The processing power of the real-time simulators has been increased to the maximum number of 30 cores (10 cores per simulator) for the three Novacor chassis available to EGSAL. AURORA communication protocol licenses (with 4 ports per simulator) were enabled on two of the simulators to expand the coupling capabilities with other simulators (e.g. OPAL-RT in SESCL).
Read more about EGSAL
In situ catalyst activation is a significant process improvement and was therefore investigated in the second week of December 2021 on the Three-Phase Methanation (3PM) in the Energy Lab 2.0. For this purpose, a novel method was developed and tested, in which the methanation catalyst is activated directly in the reactor and during operation. The tests were successfully completed and, thus, provide valuable data for transferring the results from the 100 kW 3PM to industrial scale and for their economic evaluation.
More about Three-Phase Methanation
The so-called Reversible Solid Oxide Cell (rSOC) has been successfully commissioned. The system can be operated both in electrolysis mode (electricity-to-hydrogen) and in fuel cell or reformer mode (hydrogen or natural gas-to-electricity). Thus, this system can generate electric power from chemical energy sources or produce green hydrogen with very high efficiency via renewable electricity. Such flexibility options are elementary in future energy systems and is now also be investigated in Energy Lab 2.0.
Read more on the Power-to-Liquid page
"The fuel that's made from air" is how AverEnergy's Avenue magazine describes the eFuels from the Energy Lab 2.0.
Since climate-neutral flights, ship voyages or other heavy transports are inconceivable without synthetic fuels, eFuels are presented as hope for the future. Professor Dittmeyer explains the four steps in the cycle from carbon dioxide from the air to the refined synthetic fuel.

The building infrastructure on the premises of KIT's Campus North with its gas and heat supply as well as the electrical network matches the size of a medium-sized small town. Here, industrial-like operations are located as well as three model houses in which various future scenarios can be tested under realistic conditions.
Dr. Düpmeier describes how autonomous, artificial intelligence can succeed in future in regulating the increasingly complex energy supply with green energy.

There is not always an alternative to combustion engines. Heavy transport, shipping and aviation cannot yet switch to electric. Therefore, E-Fuels are a clean alternative.
The General German Automobile Club had Prof. Roland Dittmeyer show them on site how Power-to-X works. In the interview, Prof. Dittmeyer explains the synthesis process step by step.

The key to a climate-neutral energy system are intelligent networking, control and optimization of electricity, heat and gas supply. That is why the German Federal Ministry of Research and Education (BMBF) continues to fund the living lab for Sector Coupling (SEKO). Funding for the-Energy Lab 2.0 is increased by 10 million euros to a total of 16.5 million euros to develop and test new strategies and technologies for sector coupling on a transdisciplinary basis on a pilot plant scale.
Read the Press Release
What happens behind the walls of the SEnSSiCC building? What are the researchers doing for the energy transition?
In this video, the research topics of SEnSSiCC are explained and how they are interrelated.

In4climateNRW presents three innovative research projects on CO2 reduction in this video. From minute 2:33, the Energy Lab 2.0 is presented as a best practice example for energy transition research and climate protection. Prof. Dr Dittmeyer leads through the Energy Lab 2.0 and introduces the Power-to-X plants, in which e-fuels are produced. He explains the cycle. CO2 is extracted from the air and converted in several steps into synthetic fuel and, thus, the KIT research contributes to the transport transition.
Watch the in4-climate video on YouTube
Corona changed traffic, showing how the transportation of people and goods negatively impacts our planet.
This documentary from Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk shows both the Corona impact on traffic and possible solutions to the traffic dilemma. One approach for the traffic transition can be e-fuels, as they are produced and optimized in the Energy Lab. Starting at minute 29:40, the Energy Lab contribution is shown.

As a research infrastructure, the Energy Lab 2.0 is not only available to other research institutions and companies but is also the stage for the KIT Annual Celebration this year. This Annual Celebration will take place online for the first time. For this purpose, a studio has been set up in the SEnSSiCC building, from where the celebration will be streamed. Take a look for yourself.
Watch the Annual Celebration of KIT
Beim sogenannten Smart Charging werden Elektrofahrzeuge in das Energiesystem integriert. Sie werden also bei Bedarf geladen oder funktionieren wie ein Batteriespeicher. Wenn sie nicht benutzt werden, können ihre überschüssige Ladung zurück in das Netz speisen.
Je einfacher das Smart Charging für den Elektro-Autofahrer ist, desto flächendeckender kann diese Technologie eingesetzt werden.
Deshalb präsentiert das Energy Lab 2.0 den "Smart Charging Wizard". Mit dieser Web-App kann man den Ladevorgang über eine Benutzeroberfläche starten, einstellen und überwachen.

Private Haushalte müssen in ihrem Energieverbrauch flexibel agieren, damit das Potential erneuerbarer Energieträger besser ausgenutzt und die Belastung der Stromnetze reduziert werden kann. Vom 23.11.-7.12.2020 wird in einer Wohnkampagne untersucht, in welcher Art und Weise verschiedene Handlungsaufforderungen und Anreize genutzt werden können, um Bewohner von Privathaushalten zur Flexibilitätserbringung zu bewegen und ihre generelle Akzeptanz und Partizipation bei diesem Thema zu steigern.
Zum Energy Smart Home Lab
Nachdem ein Team von Galileo (Prosieben) einen Tag lang am Energy Lab 2.0 Interviews geführt, gefilmt und Drohnenaufnahmen gemacht hat, wird die Sendung nun ausgestrahlt. Am 22.11.2020 um 19:05 läuft das Themenspecial "Der letzte Tropfen - Wie tickt die Welt, wenn kein Öl mehr fließt?"
Hier geht es zur Seite von Galileo
Am 18.11.2020 ist die erste Episode des neuen Podcasts "Fahrverbot" mit einem Beitrag von Prof. Dittmeyer online gegangen. Herr Dittmeyer hat die Herstellung von synthetischen Kraftstoffen erläutert.
Hier geht es zum Podcast "Fahrverbot"News archive
Energy Lab 2.0 at ACHEMA Energy Lab 2.0 presents itself from June 11 to June 15, 2018 in Frankfurt at the ACHEMA 2018. | Energy Lab 2.0 at INTERSOLAR Energy Lab 2.0 presents itself from May 31 to June 2, 2017 in Munich at the INTERSOLAR EUROPE within the special exhibition Smart Renewable Energy. |
Energy Lab 2.0 at the HANNOVER FAIR 2017Energy Lab 2.0 presents itself from April 24 to 27, 2017 at the HANNOVER FAIR (Hall 27, Booth H51). | Energy Lab 2.0 in LookKIT There is an article about Energy Lab 2.0 in LookKIT 01/16 (PDF / 12.6MB) |