Innovation Awards: Metyx’s composite photovoltaic module for vehicles wins in the Renewable Energies category
On Monday 12 January 2026, Metyx won a JEC Composites Innovation Award in the Renewable Energies category for its composite photovoltaic module for vehicles. Ugur Ustunel, CEO, Metyx, answers our questions.
Metyx has observed clear frustration in the field of vehicle-integrated photovoltaic systems, conventional glass-based photovoltaic (PV) modules being heavy, fragile, difficult to integrate onto curved vehicle surfaces. Metyx team felt it was unacceptable that solar energy could not be efficiently used on vehicles due to material limitations. Therefore, it decided to replace glass with lightweight, impact-resistant composites, developing PV modules that behaved as structural, vehicle-ready components, not add-on panels. Consequently, Metyx developed a completely glass-free photovoltaic module made from fibre-reinforced composites with a highly transparent glass fibre-reinforced polymer (GFRP) front sheet and a lightweight carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) sandwich back sheet. Instead of being produced via multi-step lamination like traditional PV systems, Metyx’s PV modules were built using a single-step vacuum infusion process. Metyx worked on this project with Itech Solar (Türkiye) and the Center for Solar Energy Research and Applications of Middle East Technical University (Türkiye).
Why does vehicle-integrated photovoltaics represent a major opportunity for lightweight composites?
Vehicle-integrated photovoltaics require materials that are lightweight, impact-resistant and adaptable to complex geometries—requirements that conventional glass-based modules struggle to meet. Lightweight composites combine structural performance, optical functionality—an optical clarity of about 90%—and design flexibility, making them ideally suited to transform vehicle surfaces into active energy-generating components without compromising weight or safety.
What decisive advantages do composite PV modules offer over glass panels in terms of weight, safety and design?
Composite PV modules can be more than 50–80% lighter than glass-based panels while offering significantly higher impact resistance—tests indicated IEC-level hail resistance with no cell damage, making this a cost-efficient step toward next-generation VIPV systems—and safer failure behavior. Unlike brittle glass, composites absorb impact energy without shattering, protecting both the PV cells and vehicle occupants. In addition, composites enable curved, angled and fully integrated designs, allowing PV modules to become part of the vehicle structure rather than an add-on component.
How could this technology accelerate the development of solar vehicles and new mobility architectures?
By enabling lightweight, durable and shape-adaptive PV integration, this technology removes one of the main barriers to solar vehicles: the incompatibility of glass modules with vehicle design. Composite PV modules allow energy generation on roofs, hoods and side panels, supporting off-grid operation, extending driving range and powering auxiliary systems. This paves the way for new mobility architectures where energy generation, structure and design are developed as a single, integrated system.
Metyx will exhibit at JEC World 2026, in Hall 6, booth K05.
And on 10 March 2026 at 9.30am, you can meet the winners in Agora 5!
Cover photo: Joyce Silveira and Ugur Ustunel, Metyx, receiving their Innovation Award at the JEC World Premiere 2026
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