University of Bayreuth Coordinates TAO Thematic Year "Energy Future Upper Franconia"

Climate change, energy crises, and slowing economic growth highlight the urgent need for research and scientific discourse on the future of energy. Innovations in energy storage, such as battery technologies and hydrogen, as well as advancements in heat pump technology, are essential. These are areas that all four higher education institutions in Upper Franconia have been actively engaged in for years. The Technology Alliance Upper Franconia (TAO) pools their expertise. 

The four TAO partner universities – the University of Bayreuth with its Centre for Energy Technology (ZET), the University of Bamberg with its focus on "Energy-Efficient Systems," Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts with its degree programme "Energy Technology and Renewable Energies," and the Institute for Hydrogen and Energy Technology at Hof University of Applied Sciences – will present their expertise regionally and beyond throughout the thematic year. They have positioned themselves as key points of contact for stakeholders seeking solutions or insights in this field. 

As the lead institution for the thematic year, the University of Bayreuth offers a diverse programme. 

On 2 April, Prof. Dr. Marie-Louise Arlt, Junior Professor for Business Informatics and Networked Energy Storage at the University of Bayreuth’s Bavarian Centre for Battery Technology (BayBatt), and Prof. Dr. Dieter Brüggemann, Chair of Technical Thermodynamics and Transport Processes in the Faculty of Engineering Science and Director of ZET, will discuss "Batteries and Hydrogen – Two Key Energy Storage Solutions" in a public forum. 

On 3–4 April, ZET will host the "HP_sim_app25" conference at the University of Bayreuth, focusing on heat pumps. Decarbonising existing buildings and district heating systems is one of the most pressing tasks in the fight against climate change. Heat pumps (HP) are considered a key technology for significantly reducing CO₂ emissions and replacing fossil fuels in heating systems. The conference is aimed at industry representatives, planners, and researchers but is also open to interested students and citizens. "HP_sim_app" is an annual event that has been held in cities such as Bologna, Innsbruck, and Muttenz (Switzerland) and is now coming to Upper Franconia for the first time. The conference will focus on the simulation and optimisation of heat pump applications. A special highlight will be a guided tour at ZET, showcasing the WP ice energy storage system and high-temperature heat pumps. More information is available at: https://www.zet.uni-bayreuth.de/de/HP_sim_app25-_-Carnot-User-Meeting-2025/index.html. 

Another key event is the workshop "Integration of Hydrogen Technologies into Regional Energy Systems," scheduled for 2–5 May. The workshop will include Australian researchers from Swinburne University of Technology and integrate the UBT Future Energy Lab in Wunsiedel, featuring a visit to the Wunsiedel Energy Park with its power-to-gas facility. It is specifically designed for industry representatives and is part of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)-funded project "Design and Optimisation of Hybrid Hydrogen-Battery Energy Systems for Community Microgrids" (HyBaCoM). 

A central objective of the thematic year is to strengthen partnerships with industry. Specialist conferences and expert workshops will deepen existing connections and establish new collaborations. Established structures, such as the TAO Graduate School "Energy-Autonomous Buildings," will be further promoted and strengthened. A new initiative to foster exchange is the joint lecture series involving all four partner universities in the summer semester of 2025. This lecture series and the planned public forum discussions will also give the public the opportunity to engage with current energy-related topics. 

For more information, please visit www.tao-oberfranken.de