Berlin Science Week: Research Delivers – What is Slowing Down the Expansion of Solar Energy?

Thanks to new technologies from research, solar power does not cost more than coal-based electricity; but why is the expansion simply not getting off the ground?

Solar modules could also cover a considerable proportion of the energy requirements in cities - especially if the surfaces on the facades are also used in future. For this purpose, there are now a large number of aesthetically attractive facade solutions that also convert scattered light into electricity and are available in many colors and shapes. More and more solutions are emerging from research that enable even higher efficiencies and even lower module costs. The technologies are there and the kilowatt hour of solar power is no more expensive than coal-fired power. Yet the expansion is not getting off the ground. What is the reason for this?

Photovoltaics researchers from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) will meet with representatives from politics and industry in a panel discussion. They will discuss research successes, economic aspects, market strategies, political incentives, construction challenges and what is needed to ensure that more solar power soon finds its way into living rooms.

Panel:

  • Samira Jama Aden (Architect at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin | PVcomB | BAIP)
  • Prof. Steve Albrecht (Head of the young investigator group Perowskite Tandem Solar Cells, HZB)
  • Prof. Claudia Kemfert  (German Institute for Economic Research, Head of Department Energy, Transportation, Environment)
  • N.N.

Host: Prof. Rutger Schlatmann (Director of the Competence Centre Photovoltaics Berlin, PVcomB / HZB)

9. November 2020, 17.00 Uhr | Online

sa

  • Copy link

You might also be interested in

  • Optical innovations for solar modules - which are the most promising?
    Science Highlight
    28.03.2025
    Optical innovations for solar modules - which are the most promising?
    In 2023, photovoltaic systems generated more than 5% of the world’s electrical energy and the installed capacity doubles every two to three years. Optical technologies can further increase the efficiency of solar modules and open up new applications, such as coloured solar modules for facades. Now, 27 experts provide a comprehensive overview of the state of research and assess the most promising innovations. The report, which is also of interest to stakeholders in funding and science management, was coordinated by HZB scientists Prof. Christiane Becker and Dr. Klaus Jäger.
  • Catalysis research with the X-ray microscope at BESSY II
    Science Highlight
    27.03.2025
    Catalysis research with the X-ray microscope at BESSY II
    Contrary to what we learned at school, some catalysts do change during the reaction: for example, certain electrocatalysts can change their structure and composition during the reaction when an electric field is applied. The X-ray microscope TXM at BESSY II in Berlin is a unique tool for studying such changes in detail. The results help to develop innovative catalysts for a wide range of applications. One example was recently published in Nature Materials. It involved the synthesis of ammonia from waste nitrates.
  • Samira Aden joins ETIP PV - The European Technology & Innovation Platform for Photovoltaics ESG Working Group
    News
    26.03.2025
    Samira Aden joins ETIP PV - The European Technology & Innovation Platform for Photovoltaics ESG Working Group
    Samira Jama Aden, Architect Design Research, has joined the ETIP PV - The European Technology & Innovation Platform for Photovoltaics working group “Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)”.