Florence, Italy (November 28, 2024) — The historic city of Florence hosted the inaugural Integrated Photovoltaic (IPV) Conference 2024, bringing together more than 150 leading experts and innovators to shape the future of solar architecture in Europe and beyond. The conference, organized by ETA Florence Renewable Energies in the framework of the Seamless-PV Project, showcased groundbreaking advances in integrating solar technology into buildings and agricultural landscapes while preserving architectural beauty and cultural heritage.
“The IPV Conference demonstrates Florence’s commitment to leading sustainable urban development while honoring our architectural heritage,” said Florence’s Deputy Mayor Paola Galgani during the opening session.
The event featured 50 distinguished speakers from across Europe, including policymakers, researchers, architects, and PV industry leaders.
Key highlights included innovative solutions for heritage building renovation, cutting-edge solar roof tiles that match traditional aesthetics, and advanced agrivoltaic systems that combine energy generation with agriculture. The conference spotlighted successful projects across Europe, from the largest single-building PV façade in Norway to integrated solar solutions in Italian, French, and Swiss historical buildings.
The event was sponsored by Autarq, a German pioneer in solar roofing technology, whose revolutionary SELVA (Safety Extra Low Voltage Architecture) system has transformed how solar integration meets heritage preservation requirements across more than 1,000 installations in six European countries.
“This conference is about pushing Building Integrated PV as a vital segment within the PV industry,” said Autarq’s Managing Director Kai Buntrock. “Our sponsorship is motivated by raising awareness, not just for Autarq’s specific technology, but for the broader BIPV segment.”
He added: “As young as our segment is, we push each other to new frontiers through individual innovation, driving collective development forward. Competition sparks innovation – when one innovates, others follow. This healthy competition pushes us all to the limits, advancing the entire field through our individual innovations.”
The conference also introduced the EU Solar Buildings Platform, the new initiative designed to promote solar architecture across Europe, allowing stakeholders to meet and learn about new solutions. Industry leaders highlighted significant market growth, with some specific European markets emerging as key markets for building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV).
Looking ahead, we can say that the conference has established a dedicated discussion and showcase forum for Integrated-PV applications, not just BIPV but also AgriPV, Infrastructure-Integrated PV and, in the future, Vehicle-integrated PV. The first chapter of a stronger collaboration between architects, engineers, PV industry and policymakers was written in the unique frame of the city of Florence.
Read the full conference report HERE.
For more information about the conference and future events, visit www.ipv-conference.com.
