A landmark public building in Madrid, home to Spain’s Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO), has taken a significant step toward energy transition through the integration of photovoltaic glass.
The project demonstrates how building-integrated photovoltaics can be applied to public infrastructure to improve energy performance while meeting strict architectural and heritage requirements.
The technological solution has been developed by Onyx Solar, a global manufacturer specialised in photovoltaic glass for buildings. The installation enables the building to generate clean energy on site and is expected to reduce overall energy consumption by at least 30 percent.
The project was executed by Eiffage Energía Sistemas and represents a milestone in the refurbishment of public buildings. It confirms the role of building-integrated photovoltaic solutions as a practical tool to support decarbonisation objectives within public administrations.
One of the main challenges of the project was to combine energy generation with the preservation of the building’s original appearance. To meet this requirement, Onyx Solar developed and manufactured 600 units of photovoltaic glass with a customised finish in a specific variant of its “Lime White” colour. This tailored solution allows the photovoltaic glass to integrate with the existing roof, maintaining visual continuity with the original architecture.
Given the protected nature of the building, maintaining its structural integrity was a key requirement. The photovoltaic glass supplied by Onyx Solar was designed to be compatible with non-penetrative fixing systems, ensuring that the original roof structure remains unaltered.
