The HIPERION consortium has been assembled to answer the call LC-SC3-RES-15-2019: Increase the competitiveness of the EU PV manufacturing industry. The goal of the project is to bring to fruition at the industrial scale a validated high efficiency module-level innovation, based on a disruptive planar optical micro-tracking technology, which concentrates sunlight on multijunction solar cells, mounted on top of a conventional silicon backplate. The resulting high efficiency solar modules (>30% STC under direct sunlight) with a standard flat panel form factor can be mounted on any standard racks or rooftops. The technology has been extensively demonstrated with outdoor tests and pilot installations. It must be now industrialized for mass production, to enable its integration by manufacturers in their existing production lines. The project will demonstrate at pilot-line level the assembly of these high efficiency modules, while several commercial pilot sites across Europe and qualification tests will further validate the performance and reliability. To achieve successfully this 48-month, 13 M€ valued action, a consortium of 16 members representing 9 European countries has been gathered. It includes several industrial players with the key expertise to develop the assembly processes, and some of the most renown European PV centers with strong know-how on design and qualification. A solar manufacturer will do a detailed economical evaluation on the integration of the technology in the production line, while several solar installers will represent both the rooftop and utility end markets. With its novel module architecture and innovative manufacturing processes, HIPERION has the potential to drastically reduce solar electricity costs by significantly boosting the efficiency. It could allow EU PV manufacturers to gain a clear competitive advantage against mainstream solar modules and to regain market shares on the growing PV market.

MEZeroE is an EU distributed open innovation ecosystem for: (i) developing nZEB Enabler Envelope technology solutions ; (ii) transferring knowledge; (iii) matching testing needs with existing facilities; (iv) providing monitoring in living labs and; (v) standardizing cutting-edge solutions coming from SMEs and larger industries, to foster inclusive change in the building sector, being accessible via a single-entry point to all users. MEZeroE allows the development of ground-based solutions focused on carbon neutrality and healthy indoor environment, validated with advanced assessment methods and services, recognized protocols and long-term vision to embrace industry 4.0 trends, rapid decision making and customer-centric requirements. MEZeroE accompanies enterprises in adopting the open innovation approach comprising discovery (phase 1), empowering (phase 2), and exploiting (phase 3). MEZeroE will be accessed via a single-entry point web-based multi-side virtual marketplace, including 9 Pilot Measurement & Verification Lines (PM&VL) and 3 Open Innovation Services (OIS) covering training, business model development, systematic IP and knowledge management. MEzeroE will fast-track prototypes to the market as fully characterized products. MEZeroE virtual marketplace provides structured knowledge to different stakeholders with a pragmatic and well-grounded mid to long-term ambition of developing and consolidating a trusted expertise network, to be active and self-sustaining well beyond the project timeline. Based on synergies among partners, existing channels and a dedicated marketing strategy MEZeroE will exploit 3 revenue lines to ensure a 4x leverage factor vs. EU contribution. These revenue streams include: (I) memberships (benefit of web-based platform manager); (ii) consultancy for innovation and IPR protection (benefit of OIS developers) and (iii) incremental revenues of industrial partners (benefit of users) thanks to product transferred to market.

Building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) provides both essential aspects of substitution of traditional building materials, hence with potential low electricity costs, and high quality architectural design. It has the potential to contribute significantly to clean electricity generation, in line with EU policies, as well as to contribute to the rebuild of a stronger European industrial sector in the field of solar energy. So far, BIPV has remained mostly limited to emblematic façade and roof demonstration projects with standard modules very often just added on top of an existing finished building. This project will help to break the multiple barriers, which have been holding back the diffusion of BIPV by: - Supporting the industrialisation of new material and process for the manufacturing of multi-functional BIPV elements, with a focus on break-through transformative approaches to realise, in a cost effective way, aesthetical modules. - Working at improved manufacturing process, allowing the call’s targeted cost reductions, To allow a stronger market deployment of the new technologies, the project will: - Develop a business model and exploitation strategy for each key stakeholders of the whole value chain including for the architectural and building sectors and will enable an improved awareness and coordination among the multiple stakeholders involved in a building/renovation process, - Demonstrate the results of the project through real case spectacular demonstrators and through the implementation of an innovative communication plan dedicated to experts such as architects and builders as well to a large public audience. The unique and multi-disciplinary consortium of BE-Smart, representing the full value chain, will demonstrate cost effective new BIPV product concepts from their technological, planning, normative, installation and social aspects in order to accelerate the implementation process.