DLR - Institute of Solar Research, Chair of Solar Technology

 

Head of the Institute

Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Robert Pitz-Paal

Fields of Study

Energy Engineering, Chemical Engineering

Main Focus

Concentrating solar technologies and their integration into conventional power plants as well as their use for the generation of process heat, for the production of fuels and for flexible power generation.

Research Focus

The Head of the Chair of Solar Technology, Prof. Robert Pitz-Paal, is also Director of the DLR Institute of Solar Research. The goal of the cooperation between RWTH and DLR is to strengthen the scientific exchange between university and research institution. Students of RWTH Aachen University can apply for a place at one of the four locations of the institute in order to write their study, bachelor, master or doctoral thesis. The laboratories and research facilities of the DLR Institute for Solar Research are available for the research of the chair.

With around 150 employees, the Institute of Solar Research is one of the world's leading research institutions in the field of concentrating solar technologies. Together with partner companies from industry, the institute develops and improves components and systems for solar thermal power plants.

Its employees work at DLR locations in Cologne, Stuttgart and Jülich as well as at the largest European test center for concentrating solar technologies, CIEMAT’s Plataforma Solar in Almería/Spain (CIEMAT = Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas).

To the Institute’s laboratories and experimental facilities in Cologne belong a high-flux density solar heater (25 kW), a high-flux solar simulator (20 kW) and the QUARZ® qualification center. The Competence Center for Ceramic Materials and thermal Storage Technology in Energy Research CeraStorE® is also located in Cologne. Scientists from the fields of solar research, materials research and technical thermodynamics work here together to develop new energy storage methods. In Jülich, the institute operates two large plants: the only solar tower power plant in Germany and Synlight®, with a total thermal performance of 310 kilowatts the world's largest facility for the generation of artificial sunlight.

Contact

DLR - Institute of Solar Research, Chair of Solar Technology
Linder Höhe
D-51147 Köln

Phone: +49 2203 601-2744
Fax: +49 2203 601-4141


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