Scientific accompanying research for the Climate and Energy Fund

The scientific research accompanying the funding programs “Solar Thermal Energy – Large-Scale Solar Systems,” “Innovative Large-Scale Storage Systems for Electricity and Heat Energy,” and “Innovative Climate-Neutral Process Heat and Cooling in Industrial Plants” ensures that funded systems are planned according to the state of the art, implemented correctly, and operate efficiently. A key aspect is the early involvement of the accompanying research team in system design and hydraulic concepts.

Building on this foundation, a monitoring concept (input-output balancing) is developed for each project, and the measurement technology is defined. During implementation, the accompanying research team supports the integration of sensors, data loggers, and control interfaces, ensures data transfer and data quality, and assists with the commissioning of the monitoring system.

During the operational phase, a measurement-based analysis is conducted over one year, or two years for large-scale thermal storage systems. The analysis is particularly intensive in the first few months to understand the behavior of all circuits and to quickly implement optimization potential. With large storage volumes, long settling times must be taken into account, which is why a more in-depth review is conducted again after approximately one year. Results are visualized in a standardized way and discussed with applicants, planners, and technology providers. The findings are fed back to the funding agency as feedback and provide impetus for technology development, guidelines, and calls for proposals. Furthermore, the experiences and insights are disseminated through workshops and conferences.