15 January 2019

Swissolar Excursion "Solar construction" 2018

The 2018 “Solar construction” excursion, organized by Swissolar, took place on 23 and 24 November 2018 in Lausanne and Neuchâtel. On this occasion, Dr. Sophie Lufkin, Sergi Aguacil and Angela Clua Longas presented research activities conducted at the Laboratory of Architecture and Sustainable Technologies (LAST) of the Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) focusing on the architectural integration of photovoltaic systems, in particular the ACTIVE INTERFACES and PV2050 projects.
 
The ambition of the ACTIVE INTERFACES research project is to bring a relevant contribution to the "Energy Strategy 2050". To reach the energy vision of the Confederation, 10 GW of photovoltaic power are required. In that perspective, through a holistic approach - from industrial production to local implementation - the project will bring a decisive strategic contribution to cross over the current obstacles for a large-scale advanced implementation of building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) into urban renewal processes.
 
The PV2050 research project pursues two research directions : semi-transparent or coloured building façades and innovative products taking advantage of ultra-high-efficiency PV technologies. The first research topic will focus on the most promising PV technologies for semi-transparent applications in building glazing, like coloured dye-sensitized and inorganic thin-film modules. The second research topic will focus on the architecural integration potential of new, ultra-high-efficiency PV technologies, with a special focus on active vertical façades for new residential buildings.
 
Both ACTIVE INTERFACES and PV2050 interdisciplinary research projects are part of the National Research Programme "Energy Turnaround" (NRP 70) of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).