PV SMART i4.0
Smart manufacturing and automation for integrated photovoltaics
The Institute of Energy Materials and Devices – Photovoltaics (IMD-3), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH contributes its expertise in photovoltaics and practice-oriented knowledge transfer to the cross-border project PV SMART i4.0. It takes part in the work package Knowledge Transfer, Education and Demonstration and is extending its mobile research and education platform, the JuPREMe Lab, with demonstrators and teaching offerings on integrated photovoltaics.
About the project
Integrated photovoltaics (IPV) combines power generation with additional functions. Solar modules become part of façades, noise barriers or traffic areas, for example. Such applications open up new surfaces for harnessing solar energy. However, their planning and production often require individual solutions and many manual work steps.
This is where PV SMART i4.0 comes in. The project aims to make the value chain of integrated photovoltaics more efficient through digitally connected manufacturing, automation and Industry 4.0 concepts. The goal is to plan, produce and install customised IPV products faster and at lower cost. In this way, the project supports the wider deployment of photovoltaics and a more climate-friendly energy supply in the Meuse-Rhine region.
PV SMART i4.0 stands for “PV Smart Manufacturing and Automation Industry 4.0”. The project runs from 1 May 2026 to 30 April 2029 and is coordinated by the Dutch research organisation TNO. The consortium comprises 15 partners from the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, including companies, universities and research institutions.
Objectives and work packages
The project work is organised into three interlinked work packages (WP). They connect the data-driven optimisation of manufacturing with automated product planning and the transfer of knowledge into practice.
WP1 – Data-driven optimisation of manufacturing
The work package “Feedback Loops for Smart Manufacturing” develops methods to monitor and improve the production of customised PV laminates and integrated products. To this end, sensor data, data models, quality indicators and methods of artificial intelligence and machine learning are combined.
A continuous data flow between production equipment and digital models is intended to enable feedback loops. Insights from production feed back into the models and are used to predict and optimise product quality and manufacturing processes.
WP2 – Automated planning of customised IPV products
In the work package “Automated Value Chain for Customized PV”, a transferable software concept for configuring individual IPV solutions is being developed. It brings together customer requirements, product data and regional specifications and derives suitable product configurations, bills of materials and manufacturing information from them.
This allows planning, quotation and manufacturing to mesh more closely. It shortens coordination processes and makes it easier to offer customised IPV products economically.
WP3 – Knowledge transfer, education and demonstration
The work package “Knowledge Transfer, Education and Demonstration” makes IPV technologies and the approaches developed in the project accessible for practical use. Planned activities include workshops, digital learning offerings and demonstrators. Since IPV brings together stakeholders with different priorities and expertise, demonstration, education and training are essential for optimal collaboration along the value chain.
The offerings cover integrated photovoltaics in its full breadth, including both building-integrated applications and integration into infrastructure, such as noise barriers or traffic areas.
Role of IMD-3, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH
The IMD-3 contributes to work package 3, Knowledge Transfer, Education and Demonstration. It combines its research expertise with experience in scientific education and practice-oriented training.
Its areas of expertise include reliability and degradation analysis, irradiance and shading models, and prediction of the operating behaviour of photovoltaic systems. This expertise feeds into educational offerings on PV system simulation, performance assessment and monitoring.
IMD-3 develops teaching and workshop materials on how PV components and PV systems work, interact and behave in operation. In addition, illustrative demonstrators from the industry partners are integrated into the JuPREMe Lab infrastructure. Practice-oriented educational offerings are intended to connect research, companies and education stakeholders.
The JuPREMe Lab as a mobile learning and demonstration platform
With the JuPREMe Lab, IMD-3 contributes an existing mobile research and education platform for the system integration of photovoltaics. It makes it possible to study and teach technical relationships directly on real components and systems.
In the project, the platform is being extended with teaching offerings and demonstrators on integrated photovoltaics. IMD-3 plans to integrate two IPV demonstrators from the industry partners into the JuPREMe Lab and to use them in workshops. They intend to illustrate solutions from the participating companies and to support the transfer of research results into practice.
Funding
PV SMART i4.0 is carried out as part of the Interreg Meuse-Rhine (NL-BE-DE) programme and co-financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The State of North Rhine-Westphalia contributes to the co-financing.
Further information is available on the official project page of the Interreg Meuse-Rhine (NL-BE-DE) programme.
Contact at IMD-3, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH
Dr. Timon Vaas
Head of Light-2-Last Lab Team
- Institute of Energy Materials and Devices (IMD)
- Photovoltaics (IMD-3)
Room 2015
Dr. Andreas Gerber
Head of Performance Lab and of LLEC PV-Team
- Institute of Energy Materials and Devices (IMD)
- Photovoltaics (IMD-3)
Room 4003