Institut für Energie- und Umweltforschung Heidelberg GmbH (ifeu)

ifeu – Institut für Energie- und Umweltforschung Heidelberg GmbH (Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, IFEU) is a non-profit ecological research institute. It was founded in 1978 as an independent centre of excellence for environmental research by scientists from the University of Heidelberg. Currently, IFEU has a staff of more than 70, mostly scientists in the fields of natural sciences, engineering and social sciences. About two thirds of the research projects and reports are commissioned by clients in the public sector (local, national and international government agencies) and about one third by commercial clients and non-governmental organisations. The institute is politically and economically independent. The institute works on different scientific fields such as environmental radioecology , waste management, environmental impact assessments, energy and environmental management, transport and environment, life cycle assessments of consumer products, renewable energy, new energy conversion systems and material flow analysis . A focal point is since many years on technology assessment and systems analysis of new technologies, the evaluation and development of national and international instruments of energy policy.