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
- European pilot line for innovative photovoltaic technology based on tandem solar cellsPEPPERONI, a four-year Research and Innovation project co-funded under Horizon Europe and jointly coordinated by Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin and Qcells, will support Europe in reaching its renewable energy target of climate neutrality by 2050. The project will help advance perovskite/silicon tandem photovoltaics (PV) technology’s journey towards market introduction and mass manufacturing.
- Photocatalysis: Processes in charge separation recorded experimentallyCertain metal oxides are considered good candidates for photocatalysts to produce green hydrogen with sunlight. A Chinese team has now published exciting results on copper(I) oxide particles in Nature, to which a method developed at HZB contributed significantly. Transient surface photovoltage spectroscopy showed that positive charge carriers on surfaces are trapped by defects in the course of microseconds. The results provide clues to increase the efficiency of photocatalysts.
- A perfect match: perovskite meets perovskiteTandem solar cells, which combine two different perovskite semiconductors, promise high efficiencies and can be produced with very little energy input. Such modules could even be bendable. Together with partners from industry and research, HZB expert Prof. Steve Albrecht is working to realise this vision. His team recently succeeded in producing an all-perovskite tandem solar cell with a certified efficiency of 27.2 %. A conversation about the opportunities and challenges of the perovskite-perovskite technology.