20.08.2008
Solar power in Baden-Württemberg
Research for the future: photovoltaics at the Universität Karlsruhe (Copyright: Dr. Giso Hahn, Universität Karlsruhe)
The physicist Dr. Giso Hahn of
Universität Konstanz and his team of 30 young researchers recently received €2.5 million from the German government to support their work in photovoltaics. The funding is an investment that will provide ample returns in the foreseeable future: the photovoltaics market is growing by around 50% every year. Methods developed at Universität Konstanz in southern Baden-Württemberg have made a significant contribution to this boom. Dr. Hahn’s department closely co-operates with the
Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, also located in Baden-Württemberg.
The funding is not funnelled entirely into research, however: part of it goes toward training urgently needed solar energy experts. “Our young researchers have excellent prospects on the job market. Companies contact them as soon as they graduate. There is incredible demand for qualified personnel in this field”, says Dr. Hahn.
The research team in Konstanz is focusing on increasing the efficiency of solar cells, optimizing materials, developing new solar cell components and reducing waste generated during the production process. At the present pace of development, Hahn predicts that solar energy will someday cover 30% of Germany’s overall energy requirements.
More:
http://www.uni-konstanz.de http://www.ise.fhg.de/
