New demo site for the Seamless PV project successfully installed

Installation completed for the new Seamless PV demo site, new BIPV applications come to life with next generation ePIZ panels

At the end of 2025, the project partner PIZ s.r.l. completed the first demonstration site of the Seamless PV project. The intervention involved the development and installation of innovative thermal and acoustic insulating panels with an integrated photovoltaic layer, capable of simultaneously insulating building façades and producing renewable electricity.

The demonstration was carried out at the offices of Zecca Prefabbricati in Cosio Valtellino, Italy. The building is a two storey structure with an overall square layout, recessed sides, balconies and windows. The new façade cladding system, named ePIZ, was applied to four opaque walls of the building, each oriented in a different cardinal direction, allowing performance evaluation under varying exposure conditions.

Description of the module prototypes

The ePIZ panel consists of a 45 mm insulation layer combined with a 7 mm mortar finishing, coupled with a glass glass photovoltaic module manufactured by 3S, a Swiss producer of PV panels. The photovoltaic layer includes a 3 mm fully tempered coloured front glass and a 2.1 mm semi tempered rear glass. The module uses half cut solar cells encapsulated with a double EVA sheet. A junction box containing all the required electrical components is installed on the rear side of the module.

The photovoltaic module is bonded to the mortar finished surface using a silicone adhesive. The panels are fixed to the supporting wall through horizontal aluminium H profiles and screws, using a dry installation system.

The panels are custom made. In the demonstration site, each module measures 916 mm by 471 mm, weighs 15 kg and has a nominal peak power of 75 W. This configuration allows an energy production of approximately 170 to 180 W per square metre, with an overall system weight of about 35 kg per square metre.

Several finishing options are available, ranging from transparent glass, which leaves the solar cells and the distinctive PIZ pattern visible, to fully coloured glass covering the entire surface. For the demonstration site, the coloured glass solution was selected.

Demonstration site characteristics

A total façade area of 134 square metres was clad using 288 ePIZ panels, resulting in an installed power of 20 kW. Four inverters were installed, with one inverter serving every two strings of 36 panels on each façade. The system is fully monitored to assess long term energy performance and operational efficiency.