The Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy and Energy System Technology IWES was founded in 2009 and combines the former Fraunhofer Center for Wind Energy and Maritime Engineering CWMT and the former Institute for Solar Energy Technology ISET in Kassel. IWES offers all services related to wind turbines, starting with basic research and technology development, the introduction of products to the market and finally the operation of wind turbines and their integration into the existing power grid. The institute investigates a broad range of issues ranging from the testing of materials and wind turbine components to the way wind turbines interact with the wind, the sea (in offshore wind parks), the ground (in land-based facilities) and with the power grid. In 2010, two new project groups were added. In cooperation with the University of Hannover, one project investigates the issue of support structures and the foundation for wind turbines. A second project conducted jointly with the University of Oldenburg studies offshore wind and wave dynamics and creates physical wind simulations.

Providing solutions for everything renewable
With its broad range of resources and expertise, Fraunhofer IWES provides a full range of services for generating plant manufacturers as well as operators offering solutions. Thanks to expertise and services in the field of solar energy technology as well as net integration and electromobility, IWES can provide support and assistance for almost all aspects of renewable energy.

A joint effort for wind energy
Aside from its close cooperation with a number of universities, Fraunhofer IWES is also part of the Fraunhofer Network Wind Energy, which encompasses ten Fraunhofer Institutes, which cooperate to pool their resources and provide know-how and solutions to the wind power industry. It is also part of the larger Fraunhofer Group for Energy, an alliance that investigates a broader range of topics including solar energy, building construction and production technology.