Call for Applications open: International Summer University on Energy, Falera/Switzerland
Solar Solutions, hand made by the students. And they all work. © HZB
Group-picture from last year's ISU. © HZB
Excellent Master, Diploma, and PhD Students from all over the world from different disciplines are invited to participate in the international summer university ISUenergy2015. The ISUenergy2015 will take place from Aug. 23rd - Sept. 4th 2015 in Falera/Switzerland.
The interdisciplinary summer university focuses on solar energy under a multitude of perspectives: from the physics of photovoltaics and solar thermal energy to solar architecture and electromobility, smart grids and the economic and political aspects of renewable energy use. These topics will be treated in lectures, evening talks, practical workshops, and group projects.
This summer university is internationally established since 2009 and provides a unique setting for students to enrich their knowledge on energy topics. Splendid network opportunities among the students and with the lecturers will be offered.
More information on ISUenergy 2015 and FAQ:
http://www.helmholtz-berlin.de/events/isu-energy/
Applications are invited from March 1st , 2015: http://www.helmholtz-berlin.de/events/isu-energy/applications/
Early bird fee applications will be valid before May 15th, 2015.
Further questions: isue@helmholtz-berlin.de
- Shedding light on insulators: how light pulses unfreeze electronsMetal oxides are abundant in nature and central to technologies such as photocatalysis and photovoltaics. Yet, many suffer from poor electrical conduction, caused by strong repulsion between electrons in neighboring metal atoms. Researchers at HZB and partner institutions have shown that light pulses can temporarily weaken these repulsive forces, lowering the energy required for electrons mobility, inducing a metal-like behavior. This discovery offers a new way to manipulate material properties with light, with high potential to more efficient light-based devices.
- Lithium-sulphur batteries with lean electrolyte: problem areas clarifiedUsing a non-destructive method, a team at HZB investigated practical lithium-sulphur pouch cells with lean electrolyte for the first time. With operando neutron tomography, they could visualise in real-time how the liquid electrolyte distributes and wets the electrodes across multilayers during charging and discharging. These findings offer valuable insights into the cell failure mechanisms and are helpful to design compact Li-S batteries with a high energy density in formats relevant to industrial applications.
- Self assembling monolayer can improve lead-free perovskite solar cells tooTin perovskite solar cells are not only non-toxic, but also potentially more stable than lead-containing perovskite solar cells. However, they are also significantly less efficient. Now, an international team has succeeded in reducing losses in the lower contact layer of tin perovskite solar cells: The scienstists identified chemical compounds that self-assemble into a molecular layer that fits very well with the lattice structure of tin perovskites. On this monolayer, tin perovskite with excellent optoelectronic quality can be grown, which increases the performance of the solar cell.