The Institute's history

The DFVLR operates Europe's first hydrogen-powered car
As early as the late 1970s, the energetic use of hydrogen from renewable energy sources was a major topic. During this time, the DFVLR had tested a prototype vehicle in Europe for the first time, which could be fueled with hydrogen. The vehicle was a BMW 520, equipped with a tank for liquid hydrogen. The hydrogen was burned in the engine instead of gasoline.
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May 1981: "UNI-INFO" announces construction of the "Energielabor"
In May 1981, University of Oldenburg's "UNI-INFO" announced the construction of the Energy Laboratory on the natural sciences campus in Wechloy district. With its autonomous energy supply system – independent of power and gas grids – it was considered a "novelty in the Federal Republic" at that time.
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University of Oldenburg

Expert exchange
From 2017 onwards, the DLR pooled its existing resources from the German Remote Sensing Data Centre (DFD) and the University of Oldenburg in a new research group on energy meteorology at the Institute for Networked Energy Systems. Through event formats such as the DLR workshop "Application areas and economic benefits of short-term forecasts" in June 2022, researchers are deepening their expert exchange with, for example, energy traders, plant and grid operators, and forecast providers.
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In the beginning …

On 28 June 28 2017, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) announced: DLR Senate gives the go-ahead for the foundation of the Institute of Networked Energy Systems. It sounds like the birth hour of the institute and is in fact a significant organisational milestone, but by no means the beginning of our success story.  ”A single starting point" did not exist. Instead, the origins of today's institute are scattered across several locations in Germany, were developing in parallel and partly date back to the 1970s. Driven by global events, scientific pioneering work, entrepreneurial courage, and the growing realisation that a transformation of the energy system is inevitable, a previously unknown field of research gradually emerged. Today, it is located at the intersection of gigantic offshore wind farms, countless private PV systems, satellite-based remote sensing data, smart business models, and powerful tools for system analysis. However, none of this existed when visionary pioneers first left their mark on the pre-history of our institute. – Let’s go on a search for traces.

The Roots of the Institute of Networked Energy Systems: A Three-Part Investigation

The Institute's history

Tracking down the roots: Systems Analysis in DLR

In March 1974, the programme group 'Applied Systems Analysis' was established at the "German Research and Testing Center für Aeronautics and Space" (DFVLR; the former name of DLR).

The Institute's history

Tracking down the roots: Energy meteorology

In 1983, one of the first areas of focus in the newly emerging field of energy meteorology was the model-based filling of data gaps, with the aim of providing large-scale, time-resolved data on wind and solar energy influences.

The Institute's history

Tracking down the roots: NEXT ENERGY

The 'EWE Research Centre for Energy Technology NEXT ENERGY' was established in March 2007 as a non-profit association in a public-private partnership under the auspices of the University of Oldenburg, the State of Lower Saxony, and EWE AG.

Contact

Heinke Meinen

German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Institute of Networked Energy Systems
Institute Communication