Renewable Energy Systems Research Group

The aim of the MTA-BME Momentum Renewable Energy Systems Research Group is to support the transition to renewable energy sources through research, and to see its results put to practical use. The group is based at the Department of Energy Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, supported by the Lendület (Momentum) Programme of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

The output of the two most widespread renewable technologies, photovoltaics and wind turbines, depends on the weather: it cannot be known exactly in advance, and it does not follow when electricity is actually needed. These two properties, uncertainty and intermittency, are today the main obstacles to integrating renewables into the power grid. They create additional costs on the energy market, tie up reserve capacity, and limit the renewable capacity that can be installed economically. As weather-dependent generation expands, the timing of production and demand becomes a central question in every field of energy engineering. Our group works on solutions to both challenges.

To reduce uncertainty, we develop forecasting methods that draw on ground measurements, weather forecasts and satellite imagery at the same time. Combining physical modelling with machine learning, we produce probabilistic forecasts that give not only the expected output but also the deviation to be expected from it. To match generation and demand in time, we study battery and hydrogen-based energy storage: together with solar and wind plants, these form hybrid renewable energy systems. To size such systems and optimise their operation, we build detailed technology models in which costs and environmental impacts carry as much weight as technical performance. We test our methods on real data from operating power plants, so that they hold up in practice.

We believe that renewable sources can form a reliable, economical and environmentally sound basis for electricity supply, and that our work can contribute to keeping the Earth a livable place for the generations to come.