ISSOL SA

Their core work

ISSOL SA is a Belgian SME specializing in building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), developing solar modules and glazing products designed to function as architectural elements — facades, rooftops, and windows — while generating electricity. They work at the intersection of solar technology and construction, producing multi-functional BIPV elements including colored active glazing that meets both energy performance and aesthetic requirements. Their participation in large EU Innovation Actions suggests they contribute commercial-scale product development experience, translating laboratory advances in cell technology (SHJ, IBC, shingle) into real-world deployable modules. More recently, their scope has extended to vehicle-integrated photovoltaics (VIPV), indicating ambitions beyond the building sector.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their first H2020 project (Be-Smart, 2018), ISSOL's focus was firmly on the application and integration side of BIPV: how solar elements fit into buildings architecturally, with emphasis on aesthetics, colour, multi-functionality, and demonstrated reliability in real case installations. By their second project (HighLite, 2019), the keyword profile shifted toward the underlying module technology — specific high-efficiency cell architectures (SHJ, IBC, shingle), cost metrics (LCOE), and new application surfaces such as vehicles. This trajectory suggests ISSOL is moving from a BIPV integrator toward a broader advanced-module technology player, deepening its technical foundation while keeping one foot in application-driven markets.

ISSOL appears to be broadening from niche BIPV facade products toward high-efficiency module platforms (SHJ, IBC) applicable across building, rooftop, and vehicle surfaces — a move that positions them for partnerships in both construction and mobility sectors.

How they like to work

ISSOL has participated in both H2020 projects as a consortium partner rather than a coordinator, indicating they contribute specific product or application expertise without driving the overall project agenda. Both projects were Innovation Actions — typically large, industrially-oriented consortia — and ISSOL's combined network of 29 unique partners across 13 countries from just two projects confirms they are comfortable operating in broad European collaborations. They fit the profile of a specialised industrial SME that is sought out for its commercial-scale BIPV product knowledge and manufacturing proximity.

Despite only two projects, ISSOL has engaged with 29 unique partners across 13 countries, reflecting the large consortium structures typical of Innovation Actions in the EU PV sector. Their network is genuinely pan-European, well beyond their home base in Belgium.

What sets them apart

ISSOL occupies a specific niche where solar technology meets architecture and design — they make photovoltaics that building owners and architects actually want to specify, addressing visual integration and multi-functionality alongside energy generation. As a commercial SME rather than a research institute, they bring product development and real-world deployment experience that complements academic partners in large consortia. Their dual presence in both BIPV building applications and advanced module technology programs gives them a broader view of the PV value chain than most single-application players in their size category.

Highlights from their portfolio

• Be-Smart
  This project directly targets ISSOL's core commercial space — multi-functional, aesthetically integrated building envelope BIPV — and was the project for which ISSOL received EC funding, suggesting a substantive technical contribution.
• HighLite
  A high-profile EU effort targeting competitive c-Si module manufacturing with SHJ, IBC, and shingle technologies; ISSOL's inclusion signals recognition of their module application expertise across building and vehicle surfaces.