In the past 25 years, many integrated photovoltaics (IPV) products have been introduced and demonstrated. Mostly BIPV products, but more recently also IIPV and VIPV products. However, large scale deployment and massive market adoption of these technologies and products have not yet taken place. We are at the brink of a huge scale-up and capacity build-up of PV in Europe, that will have a large effect on our living environment. Therefore, it is now urgent and essential that IPV products become widely available and affordable. This is important (1) to generate solar electricity where the demand is (in the built environment) and (2) to enable multifunctional use of area and space in the built environment. Several parties in the MC2.0 consortium have more than 20 years of experience in IPV development and as such have been involved in many earlier projects and studies. We believe that the number one barrier for large scale market uptake of IPV is the high cost. Other - secondary but also important – barriers are immature sector cooperation and certification issues. The overarching ambition of the MC2.0 project is to demonstrate a cost breakthrough for IPV by means of an advanced manufacturing approach, referred to as “mass customization”. In coherence with this approach, we will contribute to solving the other identified barriers. To realize this ambition, the MC2.0 consortium brings together experts and companies on materials for PV laminates (including PV cells), on manufacturing of PV laminates, on manufacturing of IPV products and on market and application of IPV products.

Windows and curtain wall profiles are responsible for about 30-50% of the heat loss through typical building envelopes. The material used to produce the frame plays a prominent role not only in terms of energy-efficiency but also regarding the behaviour of the product when expose to fire. FIBGLOW project consists in the designing, industrialization and commercialization of fiberglass-based window and curtain wall profiles, which are not extended in the European market. FIBGLOW is the best substitute to current aluminium, wood and PVC materials providing unique thermal insulation values, outstanding mechanical properties, fire-resistance performance, maintenance-free and magnificient durability. FIBGLOW will help construction companies and installer to comply with the most stringent regulation in terms of energy efficiency (Directive 2010/31/EU - Nearly-zero energy buildings by 2020 and 2018 for Public buildings) and fire resistance (Euroclass classification according to CPR EU 305/2011).