9 March 2026

Educational activities such as workshops, courses and study visits play a key role in advancing solar architecture and BIPV design, as illustrated by professionals attending a SUPSI continuing education course during a site visit to a BIPV project. Source: SUPSI.

A new international report dedicated to education and training in solar architecture has been published within the framework of IEA PVPS Task 15. The report “BIPV: Education and Training Activities for Solar Architecture” provides one of the first structured international overviews of academic and professional initiatives focused on Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV).

Based on a curated database of educational initiatives from 14 countries, the study analyses how universities and professional organisations are currently addressing the growing need for skills related to the integration of photovoltaics in architecture and the built environment. The report highlights the diversity of existing formats—from university courses and design studios to specialised training programmes for professionals—and identifies emerging trends, gaps and opportunities for the future development of BIPV education.

The results underline how solar architecture increasingly requires interdisciplinary competencies, bridging architecture, engineering and energy systems, while also pointing to the need for broader educational opportunities across the construction sector.

The topic was previously introduced on Solarchitecture in the article “Mapping Solar Education”, which presented the first results of the international survey and anticipated the forthcoming publication of this report.

The full report is now available on the IEA PVPS website.