ASSOCIATION COMPAZ

Their core work

Association COMPAZ is a Swiss association specializing in building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) and advanced building envelope technologies. They contribute expertise in multi-functional solar glazing, coloured active glazing for architectural integration, and high-efficiency photovoltaic systems. Their work bridges the gap between solar energy generation and building design, focusing on turning facades and windows into energy-producing elements while maintaining aesthetic appeal. They participate in large-scale innovation actions that bring these technologies from lab to pilot production and real-world demonstration.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

COMPAZ began their H2020 participation focused on the aesthetics and reliability of building-integrated photovoltaics — coloured active glazing, energy-positive windows, and cost reduction for real demonstration sites (Be-Smart, 2018). Their focus then shifted toward pushing solar cell efficiency boundaries with hybrid photovoltaic technologies (HIPERION, 2019) and most recently toward systematic measurement, verification, and open innovation platforms for building envelope products (MEZeroE, 2021). The trajectory shows a clear move from component-level BIPV development toward system-level building performance validation and market access infrastructure.

COMPAZ is moving from developing BIPV components toward validating and commercializing complete building envelope solutions, suggesting growing interest in market-readiness and industry services.

How they like to work

COMPAZ operates exclusively as a consortium participant, never leading projects, which suggests they contribute specialized knowledge rather than driving project management. With 56 unique partners across 16 countries from just 3 projects, they work in large, diverse consortia — averaging nearly 19 partners per project. This broad network pattern is typical of an organization valued for niche expertise that complements larger industrial and research teams.

Despite only 3 projects, COMPAZ has built a wide network of 56 partners across 16 countries, indicating they consistently join pan-European consortia with strong geographic diversity rather than clustering around a few repeat partners.

What sets them apart

COMPAZ occupies an unusual niche as a Swiss association (not a company or university) working at the intersection of solar energy and building design. Their combination of BIPV expertise with architectural integration know-how makes them a valuable partner for projects that need to demonstrate solar technologies in real buildings where aesthetics matter. Being based in Neuchatel — a hub of Swiss precision manufacturing and watchmaking — they bring a design-conscious perspective to energy technology that purely technical partners often lack.

Highlights from their portfolio

• Be-Smart
  Largest funding (EUR 1.4M) and focused on the commercially promising area of coloured, architecturally integrated BIPV glazing with real-world demonstrators.
• HIPERION
  Targeted an ambitious 30% efficiency rating for hybrid photovoltaics using optical micro-tracking — pushing the boundaries of solar cell performance.
• MEZeroE
  Their most recent and longest-running project (to 2026), signaling a strategic pivot toward measurement infrastructure and open innovation marketplaces for building envelopes.