Accolade and social commitment at the same time: Prof. Dr. Bernd Rech has become a new member of acatech
The German “National Academy of Science and Engineering – acatech” has admitted Prof. Dr. Bernd Rech, an expert in renewable energies, into its circle of members. Bernd Rech has headed the Institute of Silicon Photovoltaics at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) since 2006 and has been the acting Scientific Director of HZB since May 2017. For many years, and in many capacities, he has been a champion for knowledge transfer. “This appointment is an accolade for his scientific accomplishment, and at the same time involves an honorary mandate,” acatech writes in its press release. The federal- and state-funded academy advises social and political actors on technological matters.
“As a member of acatech, I will weigh in more strongly on debates regarding the issue of our energy supply. Within the academy, I am part of an interdisciplinary team with diverse areas of expertise, which develops recommendations for action for politics and society. It is an exciting and very important set of duties, to which I am very much looking forward,” Bernd Rech says.
Bernd Rech is an internationally renowned expert above all in the fields of photovoltaics and thin-film technology, and has distinguished himself through many successes in technology transfer. He has published more than 300 papers and holds more than ten patents. Rech has also been actively involved for many years in promoting the networking of energy research in Germany. He has been the spokesperson for the “Renewable Energies” research program of the Helmholtz Association since 2008. He is also on the board of the Energy Working Group of the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. This affords him a complete picture of the scientific and technological challenges involved in converting to a low-carbon energy supply of the future.
acatech welcomes 26 new members
A total of 26 scientists have been newly accepted into acatech. The members of acatech are from the engineering and natural sciences, the humanities, economics and the social sciences, and operate at the interface between science, economics and politics. In interdisciplinary projects, they collaborate with experts from industry and society to develop options and recommendations for action. Subject matters of these projects range from the global energy supply to digitalisation, Industry 4.0 and telecommunications. More information
- Perovskite triple-junction solar cells: Even more efficient with GO/SAM bilayersPerovskite semiconductors efficiently convert sunlight into electrical energy; they are also inexpensive and extremely lightweight. A team at HZB has developed a triple-junction solar cell comprising different perovskite semiconductors, with a novel bilayer of graphene oxide (GO) and a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) as the hole conductor. This bilayer significantly increases both efficiency and long-term stability. The efficiency of the novel perovskite triple-junction solar cell is 27.3% and shows hardly any decline even after more than 770 hours of operation. The study has been published in the renowned journal Joule.
- Green Deal Ukraїna at the Ukraine Recovery ConferenceEnd of June, the Ukraine Recovery Conference (UCR2026) took place in Gdańsk, Poland. Unlike previous editions, URC2026 introduced a dedicated Energy Platform, jointly organised by the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine and the Ministry of Climate and Environment of Poland, which brought together energy-related discussions, announcements, and side events in one place, increasing the visibility and coordination of key energy topics. Green Deal Ukraїna, an initiative coordinated by HZB, organised three events on the sidelines of URC on research and energy topics as part of the conference.
- Perovskite solar cells: Predictions of long-term stabilityReliable statements about the long-term stability of perovskite solar cells are still difficult to make. However, a new study by Dr Carolin Ulbrich’s team, published in the renowned journal Joule, highlights which methods are useful for this purpose and identifies areas where further research is needed.