The Integrated Photovoltaics Conference (IPV Conference) returns to Florence for its 2025 edition, the second following last year's encouraging start. The conference aims to be a point of reference for a crucial topic for the energy transition: the integration of photovoltaic panels into the built environment and landscape. The event is aimed at architects, installers, panel developers, builders, and research centers and will be held in the beautiful premises of the Florence Chamber of Commerce at Piazza Mentana 1, directly on the banks of the Arno River.
The initiative is promoted by the Seamless-PV project and organized by ETA Florence Renewable Energies.
The conference has a twofold objective: to showcase groundbreaking advances in integrating solar technology into buildings, infrastructure, vehicles, and agricultural landscapes, and to share field experiences, ongoing projects, and future applications. This will demonstrate that these solutions are not only within reach, but also feasible, economically sustainable, and innovative.
The Chair's Message
Professor Francesco Frontini, Director of the Institute for Applied Sustainability in the Built Environment (ISAAC) at the Scuola Professionale Superiore della Svizzera Italiana (SUPSI), was appointed Chair of the Conference and in his message emphasized the crucial importance of integrating photovoltaics:
“Our cities and built environments must transform if we are to address the great challenges of our time. For the energy transition to be successful, we must unlock every opportunity to integrate renewable energy— particularly photovoltaics—into the very fabric of our surroundings, moving beyond stand-alone systems.”
Professor Frontini also explains the concept of integration that guides the event:
"Integration means more than installation; it's the act of completing, improving, and making an element truly functional by incorporating it into an existing system. For photovoltaics, integration means designing solar technologies so that they are structurally, aesthetically, and functionally part of the objects and environments they serve, rather than treated as additional components."
The challenge, Frontini continues, is both technical and cultural. Technically, it's necessary to advance modular design, structural integration, systems engineering, and materials science. Culturally, it's necessary to bridge the gaps between disciplines, bringing together architects, planners, engineers, manufacturers, policymakers, and communities.
“This year's program reflects that ambition. We've crafted a format that not only showcases exceptional projects and lessons learned, but also fosters dialogue that leads to practical, impactful solutions—beyond purely technical constraints.”
Overview of the 2025 Program
The conference program focuses on four main areas of integration: architecture (buildings), infrastructure, agriculture, and transportation (vehicles).
Attendees will find sessions on building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), urban applications, agrivoltaics, vehicle-integrated solutions (VIPV), digital modeling, policy frameworks, and resource efficiency strategies.
Highlights of the Program (25th – 26th November 2025):
The first day will open with greetings and messages from the European Commission. This will be followed by a session dedicated to Solar Architecture, including the presentation of the Milan Campus Goccia, a project by Renzo Piano Building Workshop, ARUP, and the Polytechnic University of Milan. This will be followed by a series of presentations on building integration of PV (BIPV) from companies and research centers.
The afternoon sessions will explore various advances in agrivoltaics (including the experiences of ETA Florence and Next2Sun), concluding with a special session focusing on the integration of photovoltaic panels into commercial vehicles (Vehicle Integrated PV), giving space to industry leaders such as Lightyear, IM Efficiency, and OPES Mobility.
The second day will open with a second session dedicated to BIPV and a panel discussion between industry stakeholders (ECOPROGETTI, STANDEX, and 3S). This will be followed by a series of thematic sessions dedicated entirely to the technological aspects of photovoltaic integration.
To register and view the full program, visit: ipv-conference.com
Contacts: Secretariat: info@ipv-conference.com
