Start-ups market clever ideas from energy research

Young scientists are developing solutions for sustainable energy supply every day, thus supporting the domestic energy industry. Some ideas are so promising that they are suitable for commercialization as a spin-off company. Three of these founders will present their startups, featuring fresh ideas from energy research, at the annual conference of the Renewable Energy Research Association on October 7 in Berlin. The conference, which is themed "Energy Research for Germany as a Business Location," will present not only the spin-offs but also numerous joint projects with industrial partners that have led to a product or process.

Based on research from the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Alteva is developing ultralight batteries. These are urgently needed in aviation, among other areas. For a long time, the weight of batteries made them impractical for the electric operation of large and heavy vehicles. Alteva's batteries are up to three times lighter than their competitors and are characterized by high energy density and a long service life. Founder Ida Milow will present the potential at the conference: "Our batteries can be an important milestone for electric flight. They also enable the electric operation of heavy agricultural machinery and trucks, which in the future will be able to operate all day on a single charge."

Many processes, such as geothermal energy, biomass heat, or district heating networks, generate waste heat that often goes unused. The startup eQrima Energy Solutions GmbH, founded in 2021, has set itself the goal of developing efficient and cost-effective solutions for these waste heat sources. The key technology for this is innovative absorption heat pumps. The two founders, Manuel Riepl and Richard Gurtner, are researching innovative absorption heat pumps at the Bavarian Center for Applied Energy Research (ZAE Bayern) in Garching, which are the technical solution for the profitable upgrading of waste heat. Riepl is confident: "Our absorption heat pumps 'made in Germany' can advance the heat transition and have enormous market potential."

Most biogas plants run continuously and generate baseload electricity, regardless of actual market demand. However, without demand-adapted operating strategies, many biogas plants in Germany face increasing economic challenges, even leading to closure. This is where the start-up project clever bioTechnologies comes in. With the help of flexibility software, operators can optimize the feeding schedules for their biogas plants to generate energy in line with demand and thus in line with market demand.

The future leaders of the project, currently being established, Alberto Meola and Simon Hellmann, are conducting research at the German Biomass Research Center (DBFZ) in Leipzig. Meola is looking forward to presenting clever bioTechnologies at the annual conference of the Renewable Energy Research Association and discussing it with the expert audience: "Our algorithm helps ensure that biogas plants remain profitable and future-proof thanks to electricity sales during periods of high demand and optimized feeding."

The Renewable Energy Research Network will meet on October 7 and 8 at the Berlin Environmental Forum under the motto "Energy Research for Germany as a Business Location." In addition to the spin-offs, the scientists will present many other successful examples of collaboration between research and industry along the entire value chain. In addition to technological innovations, contributions from socio-economic energy research will also be presented, along with concrete recommendations for energy system design and energy policy.

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Organizer FVEE

The Renewable Energy Research Network (FVEE) is a nationwide collaboration of research institutes. Its members research and develop technologies for renewable energies, energy efficiency, energy storage, and the optimized technical and socio-economic interaction of all system components. The goal is to transform the energy supply into a sustainable energy system.

alteva Technologies GmbH BioCampus Cologne, Building S20 Nattermannallee 1, 50829 Cologne High energy density batteries

Ida Milow [email protected]

eQrima Energy Solutions GmbH Auweg 11, 85748 Garching: Innovative absorption heat pumps

Dr.-Ing. Manuel Riepl: [email protected]

clever biotechnologies Spinnereistraße 7 in 04179 Leipzig AI for more flexible and efficient biogas plants

Alberto Meola and Simon Hellmann: [email protected]