Prof. Dr. Christopher Hebling

Professional Career

Since 05/2019 Honorary Professorship at the University of Cape Town, South Africa
Since 01/2018 Director Division Energy Technologies and Systems at Fraunhofer ISE (approx. 450 staff, scientists, engineers and students)
Since 04/2011 Director Division Hydrogen Technologies (approx. 100 staff, 95% external project funds)
01/2001 – 03/2011 Head of department Energy Technologies
10/1999 – 12/2005 Founder and Head of the group ‘Micro Energy Technology’ (Approx. 40 staff)
01/1992 – 10/1999 Scientist in the silicon solar cell department at Fraunhofer ISE

Education

05/2019 Honorary Professorship at the University of Cape Town, South Africa
11/1998 Ph.D. in physics, University Konstanz (“Summa Cum Laude”)
04/1993 - 10/1998 Ph.D. thesis ‚Die kristalline Silicium-Dünnschichtsolarzelle auf isolierenden Substraten‘
‚Crystalline Silicon Thin-Film Solar Cells on Insulataing Substrates‘ Fraunhofer ISE, Freiburg
04/1992 Diploma in physics
04/1991 – 09/1992 “Untersuchungen von Defekten an Solarzellenmaterial mittels Fourierspektroskopie” „Investigations of Defects in Solar Cell Materials by Means of Fourier Spectroscopy“
10/1985 – 12/1991 Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Faculty of Physics
06/1982 High school graduation (Abitur)
08/1973 – 06/1982 High school (Heissenberg Gymnasium Weinheim)
08/1969 – 06/1973 Elementary school

Publications

Publication of more than 150 journal and conference papers
(Main topics: Integrated Energy Systems, Hydrogen in Sector Coupling, Crystalline Silicon Thin-Film Solar Cells, Micro-energy Technology, Power MEMS, PEM fuel cells, PEM Electrolysis, Power-to-Liquid)
- 5170 citations in total
- h-index = 29 (Jan. 2019)
- www.ise.fraunhofer.de/de/geschaeftsfelder/wasserstofftechnologien.html#conference-paper

Associations/Engagements

- Co-Speaker of the Fraunhofer ‘Hydrogen-Network’
- Board Member of the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence ‘Integrated Energy Systems’ (since 2018)
- Advisory Board Member of “f-cell+HFC - Impulse Summit for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells” (2019)
- International Advisory Board Member of the ‘Hydrogen South Africa’ Flagship Program of the Department of Science and Technology DST, Government of South Africa (since 2015)
- Member of the organization committee of the ‘Energy Storage Europe’ conference (since 2014)
- Head of annual Jury meeting for the ‘Green Tech Awards’ (since 2009)
- Member of the advisory board of the ‘f-cell / World of Energy Solutions’ conference (since 2001)
- Venture Advisor - EARLYBIRD Venture Capital (2010-2015)
- Founder and coordinator of the Fraunhofer Future Theme ‘Micro Energy Technology’ (coordinating nine Fraunhofer Institutes) (2003-2007)
- Conference Chair of the:
   - International Workshop 'Perspectives on Power-to-Liquids and Power-to-Chemicals' (2016/18)
   - Intern. Workshop on PEM Electrolysis (2016)
   - Solar Summits 2010 (2010)
   - Fraunhofer Symposium on Micro Energy Technology (2006, 2007)
   - PowerMEMS 2007
   - European Fuel Cell Forum, Lucerne (2005)
   - TPV6 (Thermophotovoltaic) (2005)
- Co-Chair of the ‘Indo-German Frontiers of Engineering Symposium’ (INDOGFOE) of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation AvH, (2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012).
- Participant at the ‘German-American Frontiers of Engineering Symposium’ of the AvH (2008)
- Member of the International Steering Committee ‘PowerMEMS’ Series - ‘International Workshop on Micro and Nanotechnology for Power Generation and Energy Conversion (until 2010)
- f-cell Award in bronze (2002)
- Reviewer of national and international project proposals in the field of fuel cell /electrolysis technology, hydrogen model regions, renewable energy systems and energy storage in general.
- Three years education in the field of Gestalt Therapy:
Degree as a Gestalt Supervisor, Gestalt Therapist, Gestalt Group Leader.

Most cited papers

1. Photovoltaic Materials, History, Status and Outlook
A. Goetzberger, C. Hebling, H.-W. Schock
Materials, Science and Engineering, Vol. R40 (1), pp. 1-46 (2003) 1167 citations
2. Visualization of Water Buildup in the Cathode of a Transparent PEM Fuel Cell
K. Tüber, D. Pócza, C. Hebling,
Journal of Power Sources, Vol. 124, pp. 403-414 (2003) 689 citations
3. Photovoltaic Materials, Past, Present, Future
A. Goetzberger, C. Hebling
Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, Vol. 62, pp. 1-19 (2000) 395 citations
4. A PEM Fuel Cell for Combined Measurement of Current Temperature Distribution and Flow Field Flooding,
A. Hakenjos, H. Münter, U. Wittstadt, C. Hebling
Journal of Power Sources, Vol. 131, pp. 213-216 (2004) 336 citations
5. Fuel Cells for Low Power Applications
A. Heinzel, C. Hebling, M. Müller, M. Zedda, C. Müller
Journal of Power Sources, Vol. 105, pp. 148-153 (2002) 260 citations
6. Planar Self-Breathing Fuel Cells,
A. Schmitz, M. Tranitz, S. Wagner, R. Hahn, C. Hebling
Journal of Power Sources, Vol. 118, pp. 162-171 (2003) 154 citations
7. Investigation of Fractal Flow Fields in Portable PEMFC and DMFC
K. Tüber, A. Oedegaard, C. Hebling, M. Hermann
Journal of Power Sources, Vol. 131/1-2, pp. 175-181 (2004) 127 citations
8. Influence of Diffusion Layer Properties on Low Temperature DMFC
A. Oedegaard, R. Tunold, C. Hebling, A. Schmitz, S. Moller-Holst
Journal of Power Sources, Vol. 127, pp. 187-196 (2004) 114 citations
9. Hydrophilicity and Hydrophobicity Study of Catalyst Layers in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells
H.M. Yu, C. Ziegler, C. Hebling, M. Oszcipok, M. Zobel
Electrochimica Acta, Vol. 51, pp. 1199-1207 (2006) 108 citations
10. A polymer electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell System for Powering Portable Computers
K. Tüber, M. Zobel, H. Schmidt, C. Hebling
Journal of Power Sources Vol. 122, pp. 1-8 (2003) 100 citations