World's first center for solar batteries
Direct electrochemical storage of energy from sunlight
The world's first center for solar batteries and optoionic technologies is being established in Bavaria. The Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the Max Planck Society (MPG) have set the course for this with the support of the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs. With the SolBat Center, a unique research ecosystem will be formed to research new types of energy storage systems and develop applications to use solar energy even more efficiently and flexibly.
The focus is on solar batteries, which are still largely unexplored. They combine solar cells and batteries in a single component and can chemically store the energy from sunlight directly - without the detour of converting it into electricity. The technology can be used, for example, to compensate for daily and weather-related fluctuations in solar power and, at the same time, increase energy efficiency through an improved ion cycle. Optoionics - a cross-sectional science between optoelectronics and solid-state ionics, which deals with the control of ions by light - offers enormous potential for various solar and optical application technologies.
The new SolBat Center will be headed by Prof. Jennifer L.M. Rupp, holder of the Chair of Solid State Electrochemistry at TUM and Fellow at the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, Prof. Karsten Reuter, Director at the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society and Distinguished Affiliated Professor at TUM, and Prof. Bettina V. Lotsch, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research in Stuttgart and honorary professor at the Universities of Munich (LMU) and Stuttgart. All three are also board members of the e-conversion Cluster of Excellence, on whose results, network of experts, and interdisciplinary basic research the new center is primarily based.
Jennifer Rupp emphasizes: "The fusion of solar and battery technologies will open up a new dimension for the future of sustainable energy supply. The concept of our globally unique center is based on the close integration of basic research and technology development. We see this as an opportunity to make energy systems significantly more compact and efficient."
Bavaria's Minister of Economic Affairs Hubert Aiwanger announces that the Free State of Bavaria is funding the SolBat Center with up to eight million euros: “Today, we are facing unprecedented challenges in the areas of energy and sustainability. In order to develop new energy solutions, modern materials are just as important as new concepts for energy conversion and storage. I am convinced that the SolBat initiative will make a strong contribution to finding solutions for the massively increased energy storage requirements of the future. With our financial support for infrastructure measures at TUM's Garching campus, we are helping to position Bavaria at the forefront of innovation in solar energy storage.”
Optoionics: a new branch of research with far-reaching potential
The center focuses on optoionics, a pioneering discipline that combines solid-state ionics with light. Bettina Lotsch explains: "Optoionics not only enables us to improve light-controlled processes in energy materials, but also to produce new types of energy systems at the intersection between batteries and photovoltaics, which act as direct 'light storage devices'. Optoionics can be a key factor in increasing the efficiency of solar batteries and the functionality of future energy systems." Those involved also hope the center's research will provide new impetus for photocatalysis, sensor technology, and artificial intelligence (AI).
Karsten Reuter emphasizes the importance of theoretical modeling for developing solar batteries: "With the help of precise simulations, we can better understand the complex interactions between light and ion movements in the materials. This understanding will be incorporated into AIs from the outset, which will increasingly take over the planning of experiments in order to optimize materials and processes in a targeted manner and develop new functionalities." The SolBat Center's approach of combining experimental, theoretical, and AI-based research and considering the entire value chain up to the development of components creates a unique innovation platform for the next generation of energy storage systems.
How a solar battery works
In a solar battery, the solar cell and battery are not separate but are integrated into a single component. This enables the direct conversion of sunlight into electrochemical energy and its storage. The process begins when photons (light particles) hit the light-absorbing layer and excite electrons. The key innovation of solar batteries is that the light not only excites the electrons but also influences the movement of ions. This enables the simultaneous absorption of light and the storage of electrochemical energy in a single component. In addition, the ions, for example lithium or oxygen ions, can move faster within the solid state due to optical stimulation, which can accelerate the (dis)charge processes of the battery.
In the discharge process, the process is reversed: the stored electrochemical energy is released, whereby the ions move back, and an electric current is generated. The simultaneous use of light absorption and charge storage can reduce losses that occur in conventional systems due to separate generation and storage processes. In addition, optoionics opens up new perspectives for producing highly integrated light storage systems that can be used flexibly outside the power grid.
Partnership and support
The SolBat Center is the result of equal strategic cooperation between TUM and the Max Planck Society, funded by the Bavarian state government. TUM President Prof. Thomas F. Hofmann emphasizes: “The center is unique in its structure. It aims to position Bavaria and Germany internationally as innovation leaders in the field of solar energy storage. It benefits from the outstanding energy research landscape on the Garching campus, such as the DFG-funded e-conversion Cluster of Excellence, the Walter Schottky Institute of TUM (Center for Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials), and TUMint. Energy Research.” The SolBat Center is doing pioneering work in energy research and sees itself as a driver of innovation for energy transition 2.0.
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