Welcome to the Energy Lab
The energy transition demands forward-looking answers to highly complex questions:
How do we generate climate-neutral energy, store it with minimal loss, and distribute it intelligently?
What ensures our supply during periods without wind or solar power?
And how do we reliably absorb extreme peak loads on the grid?
Excellent Research for the Energy Transition
Germany aims to be climate-neutral by 2045. To get there, greenhouse gas emissions must drop by at least 65 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. At the same time, the energy transition brings highly complex challenges: wind and solar power are not consistently available everywhere at all times, energy is often not generated where it is actually needed, and peak loads on the grid must be reliably absorbed. Making an affordable, environmentally sound energy supply a reality therefore requires completely new concepts for the interplay of energy generation, storage, distribution, and consumption.
This is exactly where the Energy Lab at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) comes in. As Europe's leading research infrastructure, it is working on the intelligent interlinking of different energy sectors—specifically power, heat, and industry—while developing solutions for an energy system based on renewable resources. The core focus is the interplay of these different technologies and infrastructures: the Energy Lab combines research into electrical, thermal, and chemical energy flows with state-of-the-art information and communication technologies. Based on real consumer data, tomorrow's energy systems are simulated and tested under real-world conditions, paving the way for a sustainable energy supply.
The Energy Lab is committed to excellent research with measurable impact. Its experts transfer their insights on sector coupling and system integration deep into science, business, and politics, thereby strengthening practical application. In doing so, the Energy Lab establishes itself as a pioneer in the integration of real energy systems and as a strong platform for a community that actively shapes the societal transformation process.
The Energy Lab is a project of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in cooperation with the Helmholtz Centers German Aerospace Center (DLR) and Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ).
The Federal Ministries of Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) and for Economic Affairs and Energy as well as the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts (MWK) are funding the Energy Lab.
With the Smart2DC Microgrid Laboratory at KIT, a powerful research platform for future direct‑current microgrids is being established. The laboratory combines fundamental research with realistic experimental studies and addresses key challenges in control, protection, and system integration. As part of the Smart Energy System Simulation and Control Center (SEnSSiCC), Smart2DC enables the testing of innovative DC grid concepts under real operating conditions, making an important contribution to the energy transition.
Smart2DC Microgrid Laboratory
Researchers at KIT – Giovanni De Carne, Friedrich Wiegel, Fargah Ashrafidehkordi, Felix Wald and Veit Hagenmeyer – together with international partners, have published a comprehensive set of guidelines for Power‑Hardware‑in‑the‑Loop testing. The article, released in the IEEE Open Journal of Power Electronics, demonstrates how PHIL enables highly realistic validation of electrical systems while shortening development cycles. For the first time, the work defines practical recommendations for modelling, setup and operation of PHIL applications in industrial environments.
Read the publication
For the construction of the new High Power Grid Lab (HPGL) on the KIT Campus North, ATELIER . SCHMELZER . WEBER Architekten PartGmbB from Dresden prevailed in a two‑stage competition. The firm received the contract for presenting the most convincing architectural and conceptual design. Starting in 2027, a research infrastructure in the multi‑megawatt range will be built that, upon its commissioning in 2030, will investigate novel power‑electronic grid components under realistic grid conditions.
Website Atelier . Schmelzer . Weber