For a future built on renewable energies

Building on its success in 2012, the Zayed Future Energy Prize, launched in 2008 and managed by Masdar, will award five distinct categories during its 2013 awards ceremony. The initiative represents the vision of the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founding father of the UAE, who championed environmental stewardship and sustainability as a fundamental aspect of the UAE’s heritage. The annual award celebrates achievements that reflect impact, innovation, long-term vision and leadership in renewable energy and sustainability. The Zayed Future Energy Prize has recognised some of the most innovative, visionary leaders in global sustainability. Winners, finalists, and other entrants have made a significant positive impact on the world’s environment with their path-breaking solutions. In a six-part series, we profile organisations that have shown leadership and long-term vision in championing the cause of renewable energy and sustainability. The fifth organisation we profile is Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE), which has been nominated in the Non-Governmental Organisation category. Fraunhofer ISE is the largest solar energy research institute in Europe. Its scope covers fundamental scientific and engineering research, development of new technologies and prototypes and the construction of demonstration systems. The Institute has been critical to the development of the solar energy industry over the past 30 years and has achieved fundamental breakthroughs. In an interview, Dr Eicke R Weber, director of Fraunhofer ISE, talks about what motivates him in the field of solar energy research and the biggest growth areas for his organisation. What motivated you ?to do what you do? Fraunhofer ISE was founded in 1981. In 2010, the German government decided that the country would meet its energy demands from renewables by 2050. Termed ‘transformation of our energy system’ or ‘Energiewende’ in German, the initiative requires the energy supply system to be fundamentally restructured, presenting Germany with economic and technological challenges. Fraunhofer ISE conducts applied research to support the industry and the German government to achieve that turnaround in our energy system. Enrolling hundreds of student members, the Institute also contributes to education and is promoting Germany’s renewable energy goal among the general public. One visible example of our contribution is Germany’s leading position in the field of high-efficiency silicon solar cells. The Institute’s research and development ranges from material research through cell and module development to production processes including testing and quality control with the aim of increasing efficiency and reducing costs. How do the current conditions of the market affect you or your conviction in finding necessary solutions? The photo-voltaic (PV) market, and especially the solar industry in Germany, is in a difficult situation at the moment. The worldwide PV module stock is higher than the demand, which causes problems for some of our partners. Material and production equipment manufacturing, as well as testing and quality control, plays an important role. In the long run, the PV global market will develop strongly. However, since Fraunhofer ISE’s research and development covers the entire value chain, the current crisis of the PV industry has a marginal effect on the Institute. Fraunhofer ISE researches on a wide range of topics including energy efficient buildings, power electronics, smart grid technologies, sustainable mobility, storage solutions, solar thermal technology and hydrogen technology. What would you say are the largest or biggest growth areas for your organisation? Fraunhofer ISE is internationally renowned for its projects and services in areas such as photo-voltaics, solar thermal, solar buildings, energy storage, hydrogen and complete energy concepts. In research, industry and politics, the Institute has become a driving force and an important opinion-making centre for energy turnaround. What do you see as the biggest challenges in the implementation of renewable energy and/or sustainable energy solutions? An energy system based on renewable energies is cost-intensive. Therefore, apart from political will, important investments need to be made in research and development to enable the industry to offer high quality and efficient products. Market incentive programmes and educational measures for consumer acceptance also play an important role. Last but not least, the energy industry needs to support this transition and come up with new business models. Do you believe this prize can have a key function in acting as a catalyst for the development and adoption of renewable energy and clean technologies and how? Fraunhofer ISE appreciates the efforts of the Zayed Future Energy Prize to promote renewable energy and clean technologies. We believe the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region holds great potential in renewable energies and the prize serves as a visible and strong platform to gain more attention towards this prospect. What, in your opinion, are the three biggest issues facing renewable energy adoption? The technologies for a sustainable energy system exist. However, they only need to be applied on an international level as well as improved and adapted for site specific conditions. Some countries already show good instances of take-off. The predominant issue for the adoption of renewables is the political will to aim for a renewable energy future. Secondly, market incentives and investment in research and development are required to achieve cost-efficiency, which will boost implementation. Thirdly, education is a key factor for renewable energy experts and energy consumers. Should you take home the prize, what do you plan to do with the prize fund? Fraunhofer ISE strives to develop a holistic model for the electricity and heat sector in a future energy system with a dominant contribution of renewable energies. The prize fund will be invested in this project to create an exemplary tool for the smooth and cost-efficient transition of the current energy system into a sustainable network. What do you think of the newly launched Global High School Prize category? Fraunhofer ISE is keen to foster talent and supports the commitment of other organisations in this field. From KhaleejTimes