On this interview, Bruno Burger, Senior Scientist at Fraunhofer-Institute for Photo voltaic Power Programs ISE, discusses his pioneering work in photo voltaic power and the event of the Power Charts platform. Mr. Burger shares insights on the challenges of offering real-time power information, the rising affect of renewable power in Germany, and the long run roles of battery storage and hydrogen. He additionally touches on coverage wants and the way clear information can reshape public and governmental views on renewables. Dive into this dialog to uncover key insights into the way forward for photo voltaic power.
Sven Ossler: Hiya everybody, and warmly welcome to this interview with Prof. Bruno Burger. My identify is Sven Ossler. I work within the photo voltaic power trade in Germany, and at this time, we’ve with us a really well-known determine within the trade, Mr. Bruno Burger.
He’s behind a platform known as Power Charts, which offers in depth information on power manufacturing and consumption in Germany. You may observe numerous power sources over lengthy intervals, even way back to the Nineteen Fifties. It’s fascinating as a result of, opposite to some media narratives, you may clearly see the profound influence renewable energies have had on Germany’s power panorama, particularly over the previous couple of many years.
It’s an astonishing platform with freely accessible information for everybody, and Mr. Burger, a scientist and engineer at Fraunhofer ISE, has been on the forefront of photo voltaic power improvement for over 20 years. Welcome to the interview, Mr. Burger.
Bruno Burger: Hiya, Mr. Ossler, and thanks for having me.
Sven Ossler: Bruno, your journey in renewable power started throughout your college days if you made your house unbiased of standard electrical energy suppliers. How did this early expertise affect your method to photo voltaic power analysis and improvement all through your profession? This was within the late 80s, so it’s fairly astonishing how early you have been concerned on this discipline.
Bruno Burger: Sure, I studied on the College of Karlsruhe, and at the moment, we had many discussions about whether or not nuclear power can be wanted sooner or later. I at all times believed that we didn’t want nuclear power and favored wind and photo voltaic. My colleagues, nonetheless, supported nuclear, and we had many debates. However sooner or later, I noticed that discussing wasn’t sufficient, so I began taking motion. In 1988, I purchased my first photo voltaic module, a Siemens module with 38 watts of energy.
I used that module to cost a 12-volt lead-acid battery and disconnected my house from the standard grid. This setup labored effective till Christmas, however throughout winter, there wasn’t sufficient daylight. By January, I had to purchase a second photo voltaic module to make it by means of the darker months. Nevertheless, within the spring, my battery was full by 10 o’clock within the morning, and I used to be losing photo voltaic power. So, I constructed my first photo voltaic inverter, which had an influence output of 40 watts.
Sven Ossler: Wow! That’s fairly spectacular. Even within the Nineteen Eighties, you managed to run your house independently of conventional power suppliers?
Bruno Burger: Sure, I used to be totally unbiased. I needed to convert every little thing to 12 volts, however it labored. I even discovered a tv set within the cumbersome garbage on the road, which ran on 12 volts, together with my radio and different units.
Sven Ossler: That’s an unbelievable testomony to photo voltaic power, even again then. I believe that’s a truth many individuals ought to hear, particularly these nonetheless doubting the potential of solar energy.
Now, let’s speak concerning the Power Charts platform, which you developed. It has turn into a crucial device, particularly for the reason that power disaster following the Ukraine warfare, in exhibiting real-time information on power developments in Germany. What have been among the largest challenges you confronted in creating this platform, and the way did you overcome them?
Bruno Burger: There have been many challenges. We began round 2011 or 2012 by manually creating charts and turning them into PowerPoint slides and PDFs. Nevertheless, the info continuously modified, even retroactively for as much as two months. So, the concept got here as much as automate every little thing. By 2014, we launched an internet platform the place scripts acquire and calculate all the info mechanically. We now have servers gathering information from round 10 to fifteen sources each hour, and we replace the Power Charts platform hourly to offer essentially the most up-to-date info.
Sven Ossler: Might you shortly clarify the info we see within the graphs you’re exhibiting proper now?
Bruno Burger: Sure, Power Charts brings collectively freely out there information on the power transition in Germany and Europe. We don’t generate the info ourselves however acquire it to offer a transparent overview of electrical energy manufacturing, renewable power percentages, and different metrics. Our most steadily used graph reveals the electrical energy manufacturing for European international locations, with real-time updates each hour. You may see how power manufacturing is split between photo voltaic, wind, and fossil fuels, together with forecasts for the approaching day.
Sven Ossler: That’s nice. I see that for 2024, renewable power accounted for 65.6% of electrical energy fed into the general public grid in Germany. How do you see the way forward for photo voltaic power in Germany, particularly contemplating its rising share of the power combine?
Bruno Burger: We have to hold growing the put in capability of photo voltaic and wind energy. Moreover, we now must deal with battery storage to handle the excessive manufacturing ranges throughout midday and retailer extra power for night consumption, when demand is increased and electrical energy costs peak. By 2030, we’ll additionally want to begin producing hydrogen to energy industries and finally re-electrify in winter when renewable manufacturing is low.
Sven Ossler: So, battery storage can be for short-term wants, whereas hydrogen might function a long-term answer for seasonal power storage?
Bruno Burger: Precisely. First, we’ll use hydrogen for industries that at present depend on pure fuel, and later, round 2040, we’ll use it for electrical energy era, notably throughout winter in occasions when photo voltaic and wind power are inadequate.
Sven Ossler: Given your many years of expertise in photo voltaic power, how do you view the present tempo of photo voltaic adoption in Germany? Are there any particular insurance policies or improvements wanted to speed up the transition?
Bruno Burger: Proper now, it’s like Christmas for us within the trade—photo voltaic module costs are extremely low, which is one thing we’ve been ready for over 40 years. The problem now lies with grid administration and storage options. We at all times want insurance policies to assist renewables, however we additionally want insurance policies that enhance the prices for fossil fuels to make renewables much more aggressive.
Sven Ossler: And the way has the transparency supplied by platforms like Power Charts impacted public and governmental perceptions of renewable power?
Bruno Burger: It’s been essential. With Power Charts, we will present real-time, correct information that dispels myths—reminiscent of the concept Germany is now depending on coal or nuclear imports. For instance, even after phasing out nuclear power, we haven’t elevated coal use, as some had feared. The info speaks for itself, and that has shifted the narrative considerably.
Sven Ossler: Thanks a lot for these insights, Bruno. It’s been an extremely enlightening dialog. Your work has undoubtedly contributed considerably to the renewable power transition, and it’s clear there’s rather more to return.
Bruno Burger: Thanks. Everybody can contribute to the power transition, whether or not by putting in photo voltaic panels, driving electrical automobiles, or just strolling to the bakery. Each little motion counts.
Sven Ossler: A beautiful notice to finish on. Thanks, Bruno, in your time and for sharing your experience.
