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Living Lab Hub Visits DC-LabSaxony in Zittau
The visit brought together the teams from Aachen and Zittau to exchange perspectives on direct current technologies and their applications.
How can direct current technology be implemented in practice? The Living Lab Hub (LLH) project at the Flexible Electrical Grids (FEN) Research Campus in Aachen is developing concepts to address this. From September 30 to October 2, 2026, a delegation from the project visited the DC-LabSaxony at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences (HSZG). The program included interviews with experts and a tour of the emerging real-world laboratory.
Interviews on Roles in Real-World Labs
The interviews are part of the LLH’s field research. The project team is interviewing stakeholders who are connected in various ways to real-world laboratories in the energy sector. The focus is on their involvement, their role, and their function. No specific expertise in direct current technologies is required. The results are still pending and will be incorporated into the project’s conceptual development.
Real-World Testing Facility for Direct Current Technologies
DC-LabSaxony serves as a real-world laboratory for research into direct current technologies. The HSZG played a key role in its development. A realistic medium-voltage DC system, designed for voltages up to ±55 kilovolts, is currently being built in Zittau. The guests from Aachen were able to tour the test facility and learn about the planned research activities.
The teams also exchanged views on their work and the challenges they face. They agreed on specific follow-up activities.
What particularly convinces me is this: it is precisely this diversity of perspectives that is not an obstacle, but rather our key advantage. Regular dialogue and collaborative work on outstanding issues will significantly accelerate the implementation of DC power.
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The Living Lab Hub, funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR), is part of the FEN Research Campus. Through a network of DC real-world laboratories, the project aims to advance direct current technology and consolidate the knowledge gained in the process. The goal is to develop concepts to establish direct current as a standard technical solution in relevant application areas.
DC-LabSaxony is co-financed by the European Union and funded in part by tax revenues based on the budget approved by the Saxon State Parliament.
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