Enter the fascinating world of the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V.; DLR) and help shape the future through research and innovation! We offer an exciting and inspiring working environment driven by the expertise and curiosity of our 12,000 employees from 100 nations and our unique infrastructure. Together, we develop sustainable technologies and thus contribute to finding solutions to global challenges. Would you like to join us in addressing this major future challenge? Then this is your place!
Vacancy-ID: 4363
Place of work: Almeria
Starting date: 01.09.2026
Career level: Student research project and final thesis
Type of employment: Part time; Full-time
Duration of contract: 6 Monate
Remuneration: Remuneration is in accordance with the Collective Agreement for the Public Sector – Federal Government (TVöD-Bund)
The Institute of Solar Research develops innovative technologies for the utilisation of solar energy. The focus is on electricity generation and the provision of heat and fuels. The primary goal is to use solar energy to contribute to the heat transition and a reduction in fossil fuels.
What to expect:
This master’s thesis focuses on transforming high-resolution intra-hour probabilistic solar irradiance forecasts into accurate plant-scale photovoltaic (PV) power forecasts under rapidly changing cloud conditions. Using state-of-the-art generative forecasting outputs, you will work with ensemble irradiance predictions at 30-second resolution from spatially distributed forecasting systems. The main challenge lies in translating these multi-point atmospheric forecasts into reliable and uncertainty-aware PV power predictions for different large-scale system configurations while accounting for spatial variability within the PV plant. In particular, the thesis develops and evaluates a complete probabilistic PV power forecasting workflow that converts irradiance ensembles into power forecasts and analyzes intra-plant variability, ramp behavior, and forecast uncertainty.
You will be part of a diverse and motivated team working on energy-transition topics and contributing to climate protection. Close collaboration with supervisors and colleagues will support you in exchanging ideas and solving challenges. You will gain hands-on experience in scientific Python development, PV system and power modeling, probabilistic forecasting, spatial data analysis, and software engineering practices including automated testing and version control. A particular highlight of the project is the opportunity to work in Almería, Spain, one of the sunniest locations in Europe.
Your tasks:
- Familiarize yourself with PV power modeling and probabilistic solar irradiance forecasting concepts
- Implement a plant-scale PV simulation framework
- Develop and compare south-facing and vertical east-west bifacial PV system models
- Design and implement spatial aggregation methods for multi-point irradiance forecasts
- Convert ensemble irradiance forecasts into probabilistic PV power forecasts
- Analyze intra-plant variability, ramp events, and uncertainty propagation
- Evaluate and visualize deterministic and probabilistic forecast performance
Your profile:
- You have a strong academic record in a master’s program in physics, engineering, computer science, mathematics, meteorology or a related field
- Experience in Python programming and basic knowledge of scientific computing or data analysis
- Interest in renewable energy systems and photovoltaic modeling
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively in an international research team
- Experience with data analysis and version control systems (Git)
- Good English communication skills in speaking and writing
We offer
DLR stands for diversity, appreciation and equality for all people. We promote independent work and the individual development of our employees both personally and professionally. To this end, we offer numerous training and development opportunities. Equal opportunities are of particular importance to us, which is why we want to increase the proportion of women in science and management in particular. Applicants with severe disabilities will be given preference if they are qualified.
We look forward to getting to know you!
If you have any questions about this position (Vacancy-ID 4363) please contact:
Bijan Nouri
Bijan.Nouri@dlr.de
Tel. +49 2203 6014160
Dr. Stefan Wilbert
Tel.: +49 2203 601 4619
