BE-Smart: Innovative Building Envelope for Sustainable, Modular, Aesthetic, Reliable and efficient construction

Building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) provides both essential aspects of substitution of traditional building materials, hence with potential low electricity costs, and high quality architectural design. It has the potential to contribute significantly to clean electricity generation, in line with EU policies, as well as to contribute to the rebuild of a stronger European industrial sector in the field of solar energy. So far, BIPV has remained mostly limited to emblematic façade and roof demonstration projects with standard modules very often just added on top of an existing finished building. This project will help to break the multiple barriers, which have been holding back the diffusion of BIPV by: - Supporting the industrialisation of new material and process for the manufacturing of multi-functional BIPV elements, with a focus on break-through transformative approaches to realise, in a cost effective way, aesthetical modules. - Working at improved manufacturing process, allowing the call’s targeted cost reductions, To allow a stronger market deployment of the new technologies, the project will: - Develop a business model and exploitation strategy for each key stakeholders of the whole value chain including for the architectural and building sectors and will enable an improved awareness and coordination among the multiple stakeholders involved in a building/renovation process, - Demonstrate the results of the project through real case spectacular demonstrators and through the implementation of an innovative communication plan dedicated to experts such as architects and builders as well to a large public audience. The unique and multi-disciplinary consortium of BE-Smart, representing the full value chain, will demonstrate cost effective new BIPV product concepts from their technological, planning, normative, installation and social aspects in order to accelerate the implementation process.