Press Release, 12 March 2026
- Construction of a new two-storey research building with around 1,300 m² of research space at the Emmerthal site
- Expansion of research infrastructure for sustainable photovoltaic modules and efficient heat pump systems
- Additional research space for industry-oriented testing and development environments to strengthen European value creation in solar and heat pump technology
Hannover/Emmerthal, 12 March 2026 – Today, Lower Saxony’s Minister for Science and Culture, Falko Mohrs, presented the funding notice to the Institute for Solar Energy Research Hameln/Emmerthal (ISFH) for the project “Integrated Solar System Technology – Expansion of Research Infrastructure”. The project will receive around €6 million in funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). With this project, ISFH will expand its research infrastructure for sustainable photovoltaic modules and efficient heat pump systems. The project includes the construction of a new two-storey research building with around 1,300 square metres of research space at the Emmerthal site. The building will complement the existing hall for Integrated Solar System Technology as well as the SolarTeC research building and will provide the required space for new research and testing facilities.
Lower Saxony’s Minister for Science and Culture, Falko Mohrs, said:
“The current geopolitical situation makes it clear once again that energy sovereignty is not an abstract objective but a prerequisite for stability and security. By funding ISFH, we strengthen research that is essential for a robust and independent energy supply. Expanding ISFH’s infrastructure creates the conditions to develop photovoltaic modules and heat pump systems that require fewer critical raw materials, achieve higher efficiency and can be manufactured industrially in Europe. Every innovation developed here brings us one step closer to a resilient, sustainable and increasingly autonomous energy supply.”
Strengthening key fields of the energy transition
With this expansion, ISFH will further develop its expertise in two key technological areas:
- Development of sustainable, resource-efficient and recyclable photovoltaic modules and their production technologies
- Research and testing of highly efficient heat pumps and heat pump systems
Dr Raphael Niepelt, project manager at ISFH, explains:
“More than half of our energy consumption is used to generate heat. For the energy transition to succeed, electricity generation and heat supply must be considered together. In the new research hall we will be able to systematically investigate photovoltaics, heat pumps and digital control systems and analyse their interactions. This will advance the energy transition in buildings and districts.”
In the field of photovoltaics, ISFH is developing material-efficient module concepts for single-junction and tandem solar cells, alternative contacting technologies without silver, and methods to improve the recyclability of glass-glass modules. This research helps reduce the use of critical raw materials and strengthen industrial manufacturing in Europe.
In the field of heat pumps, new testing and development environments will be established for high-performance systems. The research focuses on increasing efficiency, climate-friendly refrigerants and integration into cross-sector energy systems.
“Thanks to the additional research space, we can expand our industry-oriented development and testing services for sustainable photovoltaic modules and efficient heat pump systems. The new laboratory space broadens our portfolio for scientific and technological support of domestic photovoltaic manufacturing and strengthens the technological sovereignty and competitiveness of our partners in Lower Saxony and Europe,” says Prof. Dr.-Ing. Rolf Brendel, Managing Director and Scientific Director of ISFH.
Impulse for the innovation location Lower Saxony
With the new research infrastructure, ISFH aims to contribute to reducing strategic dependencies in the production of solar modules, particularly through further development and safeguarding of know-how such as material-efficient module concepts and industry-compatible manufacturing processes.
The need for transformation is also high in the heating sector. Heat pumps play a central role in coupling the electricity and heating sectors and in decarbonising the building stock. By expanding its infrastructure, ISFH responds to the growing demand from industry and research for testing and development services.
Dr Henning Schulte-Huxel, Head of the Photovoltaic Special Module Construction group at ISFH, explains:
“The additional research areas allow us to develop and test large-format PV modules and high-performance heat pumps under realistic conditions. This strengthens our competitiveness in the research landscape and provides industry in Lower Saxony with a powerful and independent research and testing platform.”
With this project, ISFH makes a direct contribution to Lower Saxony’s innovation strategy in the field of “Energy technologies and systems, production technology and new materials” and strengthens research and development conditions for companies in the state.