Solar facades are becoming an increasingly valuable solution for life science buildings, combining on-site renewable energy generation with high architectural quality. By integrating photovoltaic technology directly into the building envelope, laboratories can reduce their environmental impact without compromising the performance, flexibility, and design quality required by advanced research facilities.

This is particularly relevant as the life sciences sector continues to grow rapidly, driving strong demand for modern, flexible, and sustainable laboratory buildings. In the Netherlands, the number of life sciences companies has increased by 29% since 2015, while the sector’s real estate footprint has grown by more than 27%. This has led to a structural shortage of high-quality laboratory space at major science campuses.

While new developments are essential, the redevelopment of existing facilities is also becoming increasingly important as laboratory requirements evolve. At the same time, laboratories are among the most energy-intensive building types and can consume up to ten times more energy than office buildings, due in part to continuous operations, advanced ventilation systems, and strict climate control requirements.