POWERSKIN+ will develop and scale-up eco-innovative, cost-effective and smart material solutions to renovate existing facade systems of both double skin and advanced integrated curtain walls. It will smart integrate unprecedented highly innovative insulations and renewable energy technologies, with breakthrough features based on nano-formulated VIP, PCM, flexible thin glass perovskite solar cells and multi-functional nano-enabled coatings. Comprehensive POWERSKIN+ portfolio comprising off-site prefabricated modular “ready-to-buy” and ‘easy-to-install’ glazing and opaque elements, sustainable eco-designed connecting framings and a dedicated large capacity electric building storage system will be processed up to the final commercializable end products. Powerskin+ system will be validated in non-residential buildings in three different environmental, economic, logistic and social scenarios, namely Portugal, Slovenia and Czech Republic, with environmental sustainability and benefits proving through LCA and LCCA approaches. The market uptake of POWERSKIN+ will be facilitated by optimal compatibility without additional structural modification. It will benefit from: lightweight transparent (TM) and opaque modules (OM) (12% and >8% for OM and TM respectively; 15% improvement in energy storage capacity), aiming to be recognized as an affordable high standard retrofit solution (installation cost and time reduce 50% and 74% respectively).

An important target of Europe 2020 is climate change and energy sustainability. To reach the ambitious aims, it is necessary to improve the energy performance of buildings in operation. Embodied energy in materials presents a high percentage of the energy spent in the whole life cycle of a building, so new materials are needed. Therefore we will develop within this project a novel material solution for ultra-efficient solar energy harvesting and heat exchange through an active building envelope. We thereby address the two technical applications of windows and facades, into which we will implement LARGE AREA FLUIDIC WINDOWS (LaWin). LaWin represents the vision of large-area microfluidic windows and facade elements which are based on four types of new materials: low-cost thin and strong cover glasses, microstructured rolled glasses of architectural quality, a glass-glass compound comprising microfluidic channels and a heat storage liquid designed for transparency and/or active functionality in facade and window implementation. LaWin devices will be designed to build on existing platforms and geometries used in triple glazing and facade elements to enable rapid market access and acceptance. Expected impacts: - Reduction of embodied energy and CO2 to 0 for window surfaces after four months of using (possible because of using regenerative energy with windows for climatisation of buildings, high insulation) - Reduction of at least 123 000 t CO2 per year for heating (goal: at least 2% of window furnaces in Europe) - Improving thermal insulation figures for window surfaces by at least 20% - Reduction of total costs-Purchase price is higher, but running costs are really low - Demonstration of at least a 10% reduction of the energy spent during the whole life cycle of a building; - strengthen competitiveness for all project partners - Clear and transparent information to facilitate better decision making - High quality and environmentally friendly alternative for the build