The ZSW was established in 1988 by the German state of Baden-Württemberg, together with universities, research institutions, and commercial firms. It is a non-profit foundation under the civil code. Solar energy and hydrogen technologies are currently maturing on an industrial scale and will be major components in the sustainable energy supply of the 21st century. As a result, ZSW pursues the following goals and research topics.The ZSW's research goals are:
-Research and development of technologies for the sustainable and climate-friendly generation of electricity, heat, and fuel
-Transfer of R&D results to market-relevant products (technology transfer)
-Consulting political decision-makers and professional associations
Today the ZSW has approximately 350 employees and 100 student and scientific assistants and is one of the leading energy research institutes in Europe.