Inform yourself about energy trade fairs in Baden-Württemberg.

Trade Fair Calendar

Baden-Württemberg's energy business enjoys a top position in Germany. The technological level of suppliers of traditional energy forms in Baden-Württemberg is extraordinary high. Baden-Württemberg companies show strong competence also with regard to new regenerative energies. Baden-Württemberg holds a leading position in the development of new energy forms. In the development of fuel cells to market readiness, for example, Baden-Württemberg and its companies have taken over a pionering role. For example, Ballard Power Systems, one of the world's leading companies for emission-free fuel cells based on proton-conducting membranes, has a site in Baden-Württemberg. Moreover, many of the state's companies are working intensively on fuel cell technology, among them leading Baden-Württemberg automobile companies, suppliers, such as Freudenberg or Mann + Hummel, and energy providers, such as EnBW.

Companies from the photovoltaic, solar-thermal, hydroelectric power, wind power and other renewable energy industries find themselves in the best company in Baden-Württemberg. Energie Baden-Württemberg AG (EnBW), Germany's third-largest energy company, has its headquarters in the state. Besides leading companies from the cluster areas of gas, water and electricity, a leading German solar energy producer, S.A.G. Solarstrom AG, is at home in Baden-Württemberg.

Beyond that, Baden-Württemberg is a leading location for companies from the hydroelectric power, wind power, and other renewable energy industries. Important companies of the hydroelectric power industry, such as VA Tech Hydro, Voith Siemens Hydro Power Generation, Alstom Power Generation or Wasserkraft Volk AG operate from locations in Baden-Württemberg. ABB, one of the largest manufacturers of electrical systems and generators for wind power systems, is located in the state. One fourth of all wind turbines installed worldwide have been equipped with electrical systems from ABB. ABB is meanwhile active worldwide in the planning and implementation of large scale wind power projects. Baden-Württemberg is an important location for the solar industry as well. Manufacturers of solar cells and photovoltaic modules, such as RWE Schott Solar GmbH, Solar Fabrik AG or Sunways AG, as well as full-range suppliers of photovoltaic systems are located in the state as are numerous producers of components for thermal solar use.

Of course, a large share of the generated energy is consumed in the state. Here, major industry is the main consumer, followed by private households and commercial and production companies. In power generation, nuclear energy is in first place, followed by coal. Power generation from wind and sun still makes up a bit less than 1%. Large sums have been invested in recent years in wind power, photovoltaic, biomass utilization, energy production from waste. Overall, the share of power generation from renewable energy sources (including running-water, reservoir and pump storage power plants) is around 7%.

Based on four subsectors of the energy industry, we describe the quality of Baden-Württemberg as a site for business and research in the energy area.

Inform yourself about the market potential of Baden-Württemberg's energy market in the context of an analysis of the world energy market. Energy service providers, which are active in the generation, distribution and exchange of energy resources, are active in a very clear growth market. Background: The world energy market will expand by two-thirds in the next 30 years, which equals an annual growth in demand of 1.7%. The global requirement for gas will grow more strongly than that of other fossile fuels. Renewable energies will be a particular engine for growth in the future. The worldwide electricity market will also grow by around 2.5% per year in the period up to 2030. The German electricity market, with around 40 million households and around 4 million customers in industry, trade and business, is the largest and most attractive market in the EU.

One of the strongest growth industries worldwide is photovoltaics. Annual growth rates of the world market are currently over 30%. Germany is currently the largest market worldwide for photovoltaics. In thermal solar energy, Germany is the largest market within Europe with the greatest market dynamism. Sales of solar heating systems have grown ten times in the last ten years. Wind power is also booming: Overall, the industry has grown ten-fold in Europe since 1995. The number of people employed in the area of wind energy in Germany has risen from about 5,000 in 1994 to over 45,000 in 2002. Germany is the largest European producer of wind energy with over 50% of the installed capacity. With hydroelectric power's share in power generation of about 10-12 percent, Baden-Württemberg holds the top position in Germany.

Baden-Württemberg has an absolute top position as a research location in the energy area. Inform yourself about all relevant facilities and their emphases.

Abteilung Oberflächenchemie und Katalyse Universität Ulm
Abteilung Organische Chemie III Universität Ulm
DLR Institut für Technische Thermodynamik, Stuttgart
Fraunhofer-Institut für Chemische Technologie (ICT), Pfinztal
Fraunhofer-Institut für Solare Energiesysteme (ISE), Freiburg
Fraunhofer-Institut für Systemtechnik und Innovationsforschung (ISI), Karlsruhe
Institut für Chemische Verfahrenstechnik der Universität Stuttgart
Institut für Energiewirtschaft und rationelle Energieanwendungen (IER) Universität Stuttgart
Institut für Kernenergetik und Energiesysteme Universität Stuttgart
Institut für Thermische Strömungsmaschinen Universität Karlsruhe
Institut für Thermodynamik und Wärmetechnik Universität Stuttgart
Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung, Stuttgart
Weiterbildungszentrum Brennstoffzelle Ulm e.V. (WBzU), Ulm
Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg (ZSW), Stuttgart

In Baden-Württemberg, research and business work successfully together in networks and achieve top results in the development of new procedures and solutions.

KISEM Solare Technologien und Energiedienstleistungen (Solar Technologies and Energy Services)
KISEM, the Center of Excellence for Solar Technologies and Energy Services in Marbach am Neckar, serves as a central information pool and clearinghouse for all questions on solar technology and energy services in the Stuttgart region.
Members of this network are Germany's leading Institut für Physikalische Elektronik (IPE) (Institute for Physical Electronics) and Institut für Thermodynamik und Wärmetechnik (ITW) (Institute for Thermodynamics and Thermal Technology) at the University of Stuttgart, and the Solar Energy Center, the Steinbeis-Transferzentrum Energie-, Gebäude- und Solartechnik (Steinbeis Transfer Center for Energy, Building and Solar Technology) and the Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff- Forschung Baden- Württemberg (Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research of Baden-Württemberg), as well as renowned companies, such as EnBW Kraftwerke AG, ProTech Energiesysteme GmbH and Würth Solar GmbH & Co. KG.
www.kisem.de

Kompetenz- und Innovationszentrum Brennstoffzelle der Region Stuttgart e.V. (Fuel Cell Competence and Innovation Center of the Stuttgart Region)
As hub and communication platform for fuel cell technology, the center triggers cooperative arrangements and pilot projects. Members of the initiative include, among others, Daimler Chrysler, one of the technological leaders in fuel cell technology, German Aerospace Center - DLR, the Fraunhofer Institutes for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology (IGB) and Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA), the Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff- Forschung Baden- Württemberg (Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research of Baden-Württemberg) and numerous other research institutes.
www.brennstoffzellen-initiative.de

Forschungsallianz Brennstoffzellen Baden-Württemberg Stuttgart (Baden-Württemberg Fuel Cell Research Alliance)
Many institutes from the universities of Ulm, Stuttgart and Karlsruhe have joined the publicly supported initiatives of the state of Baden-Württemberg. But non-university facilities are also active here, such as institutes of the Fraunhofer Society, Max-Planck Institut für Festkörperforschung in Stuttgart (Max Planck Institute for Solid-State Research), the DLR with the Institute of Thermodynamics and Thermal Process Engineering in Stuttgart, and the Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg (Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research of Baden-Württemberg) in Ulm. The research focus is currently on the fuel cell types PEMFC (direct methanol and hydrogen) and SOFC.
www.brennstoffzelle-bw.de

ReFuelNet – Netzwerk Regenerative Kraftstoffe (Renewable Fuels Network)
The Netzwerk Regenerative Kraftstoffe (Renewable Fuels Network) supports the political goal of providing 6% of the fuel for transportation and traffic EU-wide from renewable sources by the year 2010. The research projects performed within the framework of the Network are coordinated by the Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung (ZSW) (Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research of Baden-Württemberg) in Stuttgart. The participating research institutes include, among others, the Engler-Bunte Institute of the University of Karlsruhe, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH (FZK) (Karlsruhe Research Center), Ludwig-Bölkow-Systemtechnik GmbH (LBST), Institut für Verfahrenstechnik and Dampfkesselwesen (IVD) (Institute for Process Engineering and Boiler Technology) of the University of Stuttgart and das German Aerospace Center - DLR - Institute of Thermodynamics and Thermal Process Engineering. Additional members are the automobile groups DaimlerChrysler and Volkswagen AG and Aral Forschung GmbH (Aral Research). The Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e.V. (FNR) / Agency of Renewable Resources (ARR) is the central coordination point for renewable resources and has an annual budget of 35 million euros.
www.fgsw.uni-stuttgart.de/kompnetz/suedwest.html

SolarRegio Freiburg
The Freiburger Zentrum und Netzwerk für Solarenergie (Freiburg Center and Network for Solar Energy) enjoys worldwide respect and recognition. No other German city can point to a comparable concentration of research and practical application in this area. The most important institutions here include the main office of the International Solar Energy Society, the Fraunhofer-Institut für Solare Energiesysteme (Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems) and the Kiepenheuer Institut für Sonnenphysik (Kiepenheuer Institute for Solar Physics). Important companies, such as S.A.G. Solarstrom AG, Optosolar Ges. for opto-electronische und solare Lösungen mbH, Vordermayer Bauelemente GmbH and Solar Fabrik AG are located in the region. In addition, the region is embedded in the Solar Region of the Upper Rhine, with international cooperation between Switzerland, France and Germany.
www.solarregion.freiburg.de

Baden-Württemberg offers these events for the energy sector:

Event Calendar