A dramatic rise in the implementation of renewable energy sources is needed if we want to meet European climate protection targets. Photovoltaic (PV) costs have decreased spectacularly over time, turning photovoltaics into one of the most competitive sources of electricity in the EU. An economically feasible and space-saving approach to increase the capacity of renewable energy sources is to integrate PV systems into structures that already exist or to build new structures that originally integrate a PV function. Building-integrated and infrastructure-integrated PV are technologically proven solutions. Due to its multifunctionality, building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) installations can achieve a better economic and ecological balance over their lifetime than conventional building elements. New technologies for PV cells, electrical connections, and front and back covers allow a free choice of formats and colours for integrated PV modules. Likewise, infrastructure-integrated PV offers a large potential for PV integration, due to the unique advantages of somewhat standardized constructions, little emphasis on aesthetics and a small number of builders and owners compared to the building sector. However, integrated PV (IPV) is still a niche market. Several barriers are still preventing the massive integration of PV into buildings and infrastructure. The project MASS-IPV has been conceived as a multidisciplinary action that connects key players along the PV and construction value chains. The goal of the project is to demonstrate that suitable tools, technologies, and methods, combined with a collaboration framework among key stakeholders, can overcome the barriers preventing the mass deployment of IPV and deliver multifunctional and cost-effective IPV systems for buildings and infrastructure. Six different built objects will be used to demonstrate the technology, representing different construction typologies in five different locations in Europe.

Building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) technology has the potential to significantly contribute to the achievement of the demanding energy efficiency targets set by the EU, however, its market uptake has been hindered in the past years by the difficulties of the industry in providing holistic solutions complying with key demands from decision makers and end-users. In this sense, it is a common perception that a joint industrial effort is needed to conceive and develop highly-efficient and multifunctional energy producing construction materials, in order to provide market opportunities at a world-wide level for the European photovoltaic and construction industry value chains. This market deployment depends critically on the achievement of ambitious targets in terms of significant cost reduction, flexibility of design, high performance, reliability in the long-term, aesthetics, standardization and compliance with legal regulations. Within this context, the main objective of BIPVBOOST project is to bring down the cost of multifunctional building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems, limiting the overcost with respect to traditional, non-PV, construction solutions and non-integrated PV modules, through an effective implementation of short and medium-term cost reduction roadmaps addressing the whole BIPV value chain and demonstration of the contribution of the technology towards mass realization of nearly Zero Energy Buildings. In order to address these global objectives and maximize the impacts, the project will optimally combine and demonstrate in real operation conditions: (i) a completely flexible and automated BIPV manufacturing and control line, (ii) a large portfolio of multifunctional BIPV products optimally integrated in the building envelope, (iii) process and energy management innovation based on digitalization and (iv) advanced standardization activities supporting the qualification of BIPV systems for a massive implementation in the building skin.

If BIM is key to address the construction sector growing technical complexity, to overcome construction processes fragmentation and communication problems between stakeholders, to reduce on-site time and improve quality and affordability, its uptake for the renovation of the EU existing building stock is yet to come and already late. To face this BIM4REN starts from 3 workflows adapted to the construction sector segmentation (90% of companies are SMEs) presenting particular technical and organisational requirements and has adapted the project and consortium to provide adequate and innovative processes, methodologies, software and hardware tools & BIM developments for each one of them, backboned by state of the art BIM technologies like worldwide used BIM Server (open-source) and BIM Bots by TNO among many others. BIM4REN gathers together top European RTOs active in the Built Environment domain (Nobatek, CSTB, Tecnalia, TNO, Fraunhofer ISE) alongside key industrial actors (EDF, CMB Carpi & ATI Project (leading BIM implementers in the EU market) with 2 Universities (RWTH & Vilnius Gedimas) and up to 11 SMEs: R&D performing (R2M, Ekodenge), SME contractors (Kursaal) and technology providers (IES, EnerBIM, WiseBIM, VRM, AEC3, etc.) with the European Builders Confederation, the Green Building Council Italy and a large French Social Housing Organisation (Logirep) representing the whole residential renovation value chain. B4R digital ecosystem will be accessible via a web based One Stop Access Platform, where depending on each user profile and needs, orientation, best practice examples from a dedicated database and links to the different tools and services (from Top-grade to Entry-level) will be provided on differentiated access schemes underpinned by different business models. Inspired by the Open Innovation 2.0 paradigm the project will setup a demonstration campaign with “pilots as Living Labs” integrating all stakeholders in 3 cities (Paris, San Sebastian and Venice).