Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP have set out to improve the work environment for production employees. They have developed an analytical concept that combines measurements of temperature, air quality, lighting and noise with workers’ subjective perceptions. As people become more comfortable, efficiency and productivity could also increase.

Phase change materials (PCMs) are an important building block for efficient thermal management. They can be used to conserve energy. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE have teamed up with industry partners to develop emulsions made from PCMs and water or mixtures of water and glycol for applications such as air conditioning inside buildings and cooling industrial machinery. The new PCM emulsions achieve storage density twice that of water.

In the HydroConnect joint research project, the Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System Technology IEE studied whether and how Norwegian hydropower can contribute to climate action. In this interview, Philipp Härtel, a senior scientist at Fraunhofer IEE, explains why hydropower from Norway plays such a crucial role for Europe as a whole.

Ammonia has been traditionally known for fertilizer production. In the future, it could also play a key role in the Energy Transition as an efficient source of hydrogen and a climate-friendly substitute for fossil fuels since it can be produced from nitrogen and hydrogen with zero carbon emissions. Furthermore, ammonia offers a wealth of advantages in terms of transportation and storage. The Fraunhofer Institute for Microengineering and Microsystems IMM is working on a space-saving, efficient and, above all, decentralized ammonia cracking technology in numerous research projects.