Imagine if solar panels weren't just heavy blue rectangles on a roof, but could be built directly into windows, bus stops, or greenhouse glass. Right now, making these custom shapes is slow and mostly done by hand. This project creates smart machinery that automates the process, making these 'invisible' solar solutions cheaper and easier to mass-produce.
Current solar manufacturing is too standardized, making it expensive and slow to create custom-shaped or lightweight panels for buildings and transport. This lack of flexibility prevents the mass adoption of integrated photovoltaics (IPV).
A semi-automated production line for BIPV and a prototype for fabricating PV labels or pre-encapsulated PV cell strings.
If you are a BIPV system integrator dealing with high costs of manual assembly for custom building facades — this project developed semi-automated production lines that reduce manual labor and increase design flexibility.
If you are a greenhouse manufacturer dealing with the weight and rigidity of traditional solar panels — this project developed lightweight, integrated PV solutions that can be seamlessly embedded into agricultural structures.
If you are an infrastructure developer dealing with the difficulty of powering urban furniture or transit hubs — this project developed pre-encapsulated PV cell strings that can be integrated into diverse transport environments.
The project focuses on scaling up manufacturing processes to achieve cost reductions that make integrated PV products more cost-competitive for the market.
The project demonstrates new manufacturing capacity at the pilot level, moving from manual processes to semi-automated production lines.
Based on available project data, the project delivers specifications and designs for new semi-automated production equipment and PV labels, though specific licensing terms are not listed.
The project includes a deliverable describing the modifications required to upgrade existing manual production processes to semi-automated ones.
The project period runs from 2023-01-01 to 2026-12-31, indicating the pilot phase concludes at the end of 2026.
The consortium is heavily weighted toward commercial application, with an 81% industry ratio consisting of 22 companies, including 11 SMEs. This strong industrial presence across 7 European countries suggests the technology is being developed with direct market requirements and scalability in mind, rather than purely academic interest.
Contact Fundacion Tecnalia Research & Innovation in Spain
Contact us to connect with the 22 industrial partners for licensing pilot equipment.
