Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), which turn roofs, façades, canopies, shading systems and other building surfaces into active energy generators, are gaining ground across Europe and moving beyond niche architectural applications into the mainstream of both the solar and construction markets. According to figures from the Becquerel Institute, SUPSI and IEA PVPS, annual BIPV installations in Europe rose from 147 MW in 2018 to around 350 MW in 2024 from 147 MW in 2018 to around 350 MW in 2024, an increase of approximately 138 percent, and at least 2.23 GW was installed between 2015 and 2024.
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In Switzerland, BIPV has accounted for around 5 to 10 percent of annual PV installations in recent years, IEA PVPS data show, and Austria's share was around 5 percent in 2024. France has emerged as one of Europe's largest BIPV markets, with approximately 100 MW installed in 2024. In Germany, SoliTek estimates that 25,000 to 30,000 homes and small commercial buildings have in-roof systems or solar roof tiles (Solardachziegel), and that in-roof registrations grew by 25 to 30 percent a year in 2023–2025, helped by zero VAT on residential solar and full roof renovations.
Carports join the mix
Official Swiss statistics for 2025 confirm the trend, with façade PV installations up 30 percent from 6.4 MW to 8.3 MW. France, meanwhile, has already awarded 443 MW of solar carport projects through its PPE2 building-solar tenders, and legislation requiring solar canopies on large car parks is creating a multi-gigawatt addressable market.
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The industrial base is expanding alongside demand. Europe now has more than 90 BIPV manufacturers, supported by policies that increasingly encourage solar to become part of the building itself, not an add-on installed afterwards. At EU level, the revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) requires new buildings to be designed to optimise their solar-generation potential and progressively introduces solar requirements for suitable public, non-residential and residential buildings. The European Commission also explicitly recognises solar solutions integrated into roofs, façades, tiles and shading elements, which strengthens the case for planning PV from the earliest stages of building design.
National incentives add weight
Austria's Renewable Energy Expansion Act offers a 30 percent funding bonus for innovative PV applications, including BIPV. Switzerland pays higher federal remuneration for integrated PV systems, complemented by local incentives for solar façades. In France, the prime à l'intégration paysagère supports PV roofing products that replace conventional building materials while also performing a functional role.
The same trend is visible in market demand. Lithuanian manufacturer SoliTek reports strong growth for its SOLRIF in-roof solution, in which modules replace conventional roof tiles instead of sitting on top of them. According to the company, installed volumes of SOLRIF rose by 125 percent between 2024 and 2025, and growth has continued in 2026, with volumes up 21.6 percent on the same period last year.
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“We see a clear shift in how customers and partners approach solar. Increasingly, they are looking not only for a system that generates electricity, but for solutions that become part of the building itself,” said Julius Sakalauskas, CEO of SoliTek. “The growth of our SOLRIF in-roof solution reflects this trend. By replacing traditional roof tiles with solar modules, the roof performs two functions at once: it protects the building and generates renewable energy. As building regulations become more supportive and architects, developers and homeowners consider solar earlier in the design process, we expect integrated solutions to play an increasingly important role in the European market.”
Rising installation volumes, stronger national markets, an expanding manufacturing base and supportive regulation all point the same way. In the next phase of European solar growth, the building itself can increasingly become the solar system. (TF)
