Research infrastructure

The Institute of Solar Research uses its own large-scale research facilities, test stands and laboratories, as well as those of cooperation partners. These include unique facilities such as the solar towers at the DLR site in Jülich, the DLR QUARZ® Center in Cologne, the Plataforma Solar de Almería of CIEMAT in Spain and the Évora Molten Salt Platform of the University of Évora in Portugal.

Large-scale research facilities

Solar Towers Jülich

The Solar Towers Jülich are a globally unique research facility for tests using concentrated natural sunlight to generate electricity, heat and fuels. The facility is not only used by DLR researchers, but is also available to industrial companies for their own tests. Components and systems for solar thermal power plants, the use of high-temperature solar heat for industrial processes as well as components and solar thermochemical processes for the production of fuels are tested here.

Plataforma Solar de Almería (CIEMAT)

At Plataforma Solar de Almería (PSA), owned and operated by the Spanish research center CIEMAT, DLR researchers test high-temperature solar technologies in practice and investigate innovative approaches in the fields of photovoltaics and agricultural integration. Europe's largest test center for concentrating solar technologies is located in the sun-rich desert of Tabernas/Spain. It offers optimal conditions for the research and development of solar technologies.

Évora Molten Salt Platform (University of Évora)

The German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the University of Évora (UÉ, Portugal) jointly operate a test facility for molten salt technologies near the city of Évora, the Évora Molten Salt Platform (EMSP). The platform comprises various independent molten salt plants, the largest of which is a parabolic trough power plant. With the exception of the steam turbine and generator, it has all the relevant components of a commercial plant. This allows the key material, component and system-related aspects required for reliable and efficient operation of the molten salt plant to be analysed.

QUARZ® Center

To ensure the long-term economic viability of solar thermal power plants, constructors and operators of power plants use measurement and testing methods to assess the performance parameters and ageing resistance of components and systems. At the DLR QUARZ® Center, researchers are developing qualification methods for components and systems for solar thermal power plants and applying them in their own test benches.