Institute of Networked Energy Systems
The Institute of Networked Energy Systems was incorporated into the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in June 2017. The primary research objective of the three scientific departments Urban and Residential Technologies, Energy System Technologies and Energy Systems Analysis is to ensure the development of technologies and concepts for managing the energy transition. The Institute currently employs around 185 staff at two locations in Oldenburg and Stuttgart.
Roots in the “NEXT ENERGY Research Centre”
The Institute of Networked Energy Systems grew out of the “NEXT ENERGY EWE Research Centre” in Oldenburg, which was established in 2007 under the umbrella of the non-profit association “EWE-Forschungszentrum für Energietechnologie e. V.”. The founders of the association – which include the University of Oldenburg, the State of Lower Saxony and the eponymous EWE AG – stated at the time that their primary objective was to promote science and research in the energy sector.
From materials to systems
After initially focusing on materials research in the areas of photovoltaics, fuel cells and energy storage, the research portfolio was gradually expanded over the next few years to include application-oriented issues related to energy systems. NEXT ENERGY began to align its theme-based approach from early 2017 in order to meet the systematic challenges of the energy transition. The former research centre was finally incorporated into DLR as a purely system-oriented energy research institute in June of the same year.
Merging of DLR Energy Systems Analysis
Since 2021, the Institute of Networked Energy Systems is also represented at the DLR location in Stuttgart. By merging the Stuttgart-based department "Systems Analysis and Technology Assessment " with the Oldenburg-based department “Energy Systems Analysis” under the umbrella of the Institute of Networked Energy Systems, a large department with more than 80 scientists across two locations has been created. Thus, it is one of the largest research departments in this field in Europe.
An overview of the organisational structures: