A record year for our living lab for BIPV
© BAIP/HZB
In 2025, our solar facade in Berlin-Adlershof generated more electricity than in any of the previous four years of operation.
With about 32 MWh, the solar facade of our BIPV living laboratory produced enough electricity to power more than 12 average four-person households. Thanks to the energy-intensive research landscape at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, we can also consume all of the electricity generated on site at any time.
Even after five years of operation, our building-integrated solar modules show no measurable degradation. Differences in annual energy yield can so far be attributed exclusively to weather-related fluctuations. According to the German Weather Service, the duration of sunshine in 2025 was around 1,900 hours nationwide. In addition, the year was comparatively low in precipitation, which, together with the high duration of sunshine, explains the high solar yield.
However, we were particularly surprised by December: exceptionally good PV weather led to yields more than twice as high as in the previous year! Especially in spring, autumn and winter, the sun is more favourable for the solar facade, so we regularly observe higher yield peaks than in the summer months.
We are excited to see how this year will turn out.
- Catalysis research at HZB gets new facilityAs part of the CatLab project, HZB has acquired a unique facility for measuring the catalytic performance of thin-film catalysts. Built by ILS in Adlershof, it has now been delivered. The facility consists of a total of eight chemical reactors in which catalytic systems can be tested. At over €2.5 million, this is the largest single investment in the CatLab project.
- Protein crystallography at BESSY II: faster, better and more and more automaticMany diseases are linked to malfunctions of proteins in the organism. The three-dimensional architecture of these molecules is often highly complex, but it can provide valuable insights into biological processes and the development of drugs. X-ray diffraction at the MX beamlines of BESSY II can be used to decipher the 3D structure of proteins. To date, more than 5000 structures have been solved at the three MX beamlines. Here, we present a review and an outlook with Manfred Weiss, head of the research group for macromolecular crystallography.
- Humboldt-Fellow at HZB-Institute for Solar Fuels: Alexander R. UhlAlexander R. Uhl, UBC Okanagan School of Engineering in Kelowna, Canada, aims to develop with Roel van de Krol from the HZB Institute for Solar Fuels an efficient and inexpensive photoelectrolyser for producing hydrogen using sunlight. His stay is being funded by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.