Event "Solar energy from buildings"

The event “Solar energy from buildings, between research and built reality” took place on 14 November 2018 in Edilespo (Lugano, Switzerland). On this occasion, Sergi Aguacil, doctoral assistant at the Laboratory of Architecture and Sustainable Technologies (LAST) of the Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), presented the intermediary results of the ACTIVE INTERFACES interdisciplinary research project, which aims to develop new strategies for the implementation of building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) in urban renewal processes.

Today, photovoltaic systems are part of building skin systems. The building became active itself. Multifunctionality, both in performance and construction terms, along with the aesthetical integration, represents the major aspects of innovation in this sector. The cities of the future won’t have only pilot buildings or solar panels placed onto roofs, rather cities with an “invisible” solar architecture. The event “Solar energy from buildings, between research and built reality” aimed at opening a dialog between the real actors of the sector (researchers, architects, producers, installers, investors, etc.). It included presentations along with a round table.

The event was organized with support from the ACTIVE INTERFACES interdisciplinary research project, part of the National Research Programme "Energy Turnaround" (NRP 70) of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).