ZAE Bayern at a Glance

Chartered Objectives

The Bavarian Center for Applied Energy Research (ZAE Bayern) is a registered, non-profit association. The association was founded in December 1991 and has its registered office in Würzburg. The association was established to promote energy research as well as education, further training, consultation, information and documentation in all fields significant to energy research. The association supports a scientific research institute with three divisions in Würzburg, Erlangen and Garching, employing about 160 scientists, technicians,, administrative personnel and students.

Institute Profile

ZAE Bayern conducts fundamental and applied energy research within the framework of development and demonstration projects, assignments for the German Federation, states and local authorities as well as commissioned work. The R&D focuses of the institute are:

• energy storage
• thermal management
• electricity generation

A further, strategically important field, “system analysis and technology”, is currently being established. The institute has a marked interest in developing new, energy-efficient materials, components and systems as well as highly-sensitive metrological techniques.
Projects are realized by utilizing interdivisional cooperation and benefit from the competences within the close network of research groups within each division.
Education is a further pillar of ZAE Bayern’s activities; around 30 graduands and students completed degree or project work at ZAE Bayern in 2008.
ZAE Bayern is a member of the “Renewable Energy Research Association”, a strategic partnership between German research institutes working in the field of renewable energy.

Cooperations

ZAE Bayern promotes the practical application of scientific findings, constantly endeavouring to form cooperative partnerships with scientific and industrial organizations. Joint projects realized by the institute’s divisions together with industrial partners profit from close networking and the resulting synergies.
Thanks to success in raising third-party funds over several years, ZAE Bayern is not only able to open up new areas of energy research, but is also experiencing growth in human resources and investments.
ZAE Bayern has special close ties with the universities in Munich, Würzburg and Erlangen as professors from these universities form the institute’s board of directors.

Organization

The institute comprises three divisions. The division in Garching, “Technology for Energy Systems and Renewable Energy”, is managed by two scientific directors, university professors Dr. Ulrich Stimming and Dr. Hartmut Spliethoff, and head of division, Wolfgang Schölkopf (Dipl.-Phys.). The division develops and researches heat storage systems, biomass, solar thermal energy, geothermal energy, trigeneration as well as electrochemical transformation and storage.
The division in Erlangen is headed by Professor Dr. Rudolf Weißmann together with Richard Auer (Dipl.-Phys., acting head of division since November 2008). The division’s fields of research include developing thin film solar cells on the basis of silicon as well as photovoltaic module concepts. Ceramic materials and “thermosensorics” round off the division’s research spectrum.
The German Council of Science and Humanities confirmed the unique feature of the Würzburg division as its competence in the fields of energy efficiency in buildings and thermophysical metrology. The division is managed by Dr. Hans-Peter Ebert and Professor Dr. Vladimir Dyakonov, full professor at the Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg and Chair of Energy Research.

An independent, efficient and unbureaucratic central administration forms the basis for further development in the institute. Managed by head of administration Thomas Pharo (Dipl.-Betriebswirt), the team based in Würzburg deals with human resources, controlling, accounting and public relations. The central administration team maintains liaison between the board of directors, the divisions and external partners. They also support and organize the work of the board, the trustees, the scientific committee and the association.
Governing Bodies
At the end of 2008, the “Bavarian Center for Applied Energy Research” registered association had 44 members consisting of members ex officio, natural persons, companies, associations/institutions and honorary members. A constantly high and stable number of members indicates the pertinence of our fields of research and the high quality of the results. This is also confirmed by the close partnership and business relations between ZAE Bayern and its members.
ZAE Bayern’s general assembly took place at the Würzburger Versorgungs- und Verkehrs-GmbH (Würzburg Utilities Company) on 26th November 2008. After the annual reports were presented by chairman of the board, Prof. U. Stimming, and chairman of the board of trustees, Dr. Roland Hofer, the board of directors’ and board of trustees’ actions in 2007 were approved. The board of directors was re-elected for two years, whereby Prof. Dyakonov was elected chairman of the board with effect of 1st December 2008 and Prof. Stimming was elected first vice chairman. ZAE Bayern’s board of directors is responsible for planning research, expansion, personnel and financing.
On the recommendation of the German Council of Science and Humanities, the board of trustees has been divided into a smaller board of trustees and a scientific advisory committee. The now six-person board of trustees is a committee independent of the board of directors comprising representatives from the Bavarian State ministries (BayStMWIVT, BayStMWFK), industry and science. It advises the institute in its long-term aims for research, development and expansion, determines the general principles for its work and monitors the adherence to said principles.
The scientific advisory committee with its eight members from science and industry advises the board of directors and the board of trustees in all critical scientific, technical and organizational matters.

Cooperations

The institute has close ties with

• Julius-Maximilians University Würzburg
• Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg
• Technical University Munich
• Research Institute for Energy Economy (FfE) Prof. Dr.-Ing. U. Wagner
• Institute for Design and Construction Technology TU München, Prof. Th. Herzog

Due to these close ties, fundamental research in the field of energy technology flows into the application-orientated R&D at ZAE Bayern. Young scientists have the opportunity to receive a more practice-oriented education. The close interaction between research and application is conducive to the efficient realization of innovations.

Spin-offs

6 spin-offs have already evolved from ZAE Bayern over the last few years. Among them is a company that produces vacuum insulation products Another spin-off deals with thermosensorics in industrial processes such as the production of photovoltaic modules.