Florence will host the International Conference on Integrated Photovoltaics (IPV Conference) on 3 and 4 December, bringing architects, engineers, urban planners and researchers to the city's Chamber of Commerce to examine how solar can be designed into structures, transport and landscapes from the outset, rather than fitted after construction is completed.
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The event will centre on the seamless integration of photovoltaics into the built environment, spanning building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), agrivoltaics, vehicle-integrated photovoltaics (VIPV) and wider infrastructure applications. The programme will combine keynote presentations, technical sessions, project showcases and panel discussions, drawing together academia, industry, architecture, urban planning and public institutions. Organisers describe the aim as positioning solar as a functional and aesthetic part of cities and communities, rather than a later addition to finished buildings.
Open call for abstracts
Architects, urban planners, researchers and industry specialists are invited to submit abstracts until 18 September, ahead of the two-day programme in December. The event is organised by ETA-Florence Renewable Energies, and runs as an initiative of the Seamless-PV project, under the patronage of Rete IFV, Italy's national photovoltaic research network.
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Building-integrated solar is drawing growing policy attention across the EU, as national governments and Brussels look to rooftop and façade solar to help meet renewable energy targets without competing for scarce land. Agrivoltaics and vehicle-integrated systems, both on the agenda in Florence, are following a similar trajectory, moving from pilot projects toward more established parts of the solar market. (TF)
